Samoa official charged with bid-rigging

By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer

The U.S. Justice Department filed a criminal charge here yesterday alleging that the man who was the director for the American Samoa Department of Education conspired to rig contracts in exchange for $6,000 and another $3,000 worth of construction work at his residence.

The conspiracy charge was filed against Kerisiano Sili Sataua, who was responsible for the management and operation of the American Samoa School system.

Sataua and others were involved in a conspiracy from 1999 to July 2003 that included Sataua receiving money for bypassing the department rules on contracts for shelves, desks, furniture and other materials, the charge alleges.

The contracts were awarded to companies that included Samoa Woods Products, a partnership formed in American Samoa and controlled by a co-conspirator, according to the charge.

Sataua received $1,000 in cash and $3,000 worth of construction work at his home from a co-conspirator in exchange for awarding a contract to the co-conspirator's company, the charge states.

The charge also alleges that he received a $3,000 check and $2,000 in cash from another co-conspirator for contracts awarded to Samoa Woods Products.

In addition, according to the charge, Sataua approved requests for food and goods from the school lunch warehouse, knowing that they would be used for a funeral, and used his position to take food from the school lunch program for his own use.

The charge did not identify the co-conspirators. Sataua could not be reached for comment.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.