Posted at 8:57 a.m., Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Official accused of criminal fraud in American Samoa
Associated Press
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — The head of the U.S. territory's agency that coordinates local efforts during emergencies was arraigned Tuesday on 70 counts, including embezzlement, criminal fraud, falsifying an affidavit and employment information, and using a forged document.Faamausili K. Pola, director of the Territorial Emergency Management Coordinating Office, was accused of hiring two ghost employees as janitors at the office at separate times beginning in 2005, according to court documents.
Pola, who was arrested Monday night, was placed on leave of absence without pay in February as territorial attorneys completed their investigation. His bail was set at $30,000, defense attorney Sharron Rancourt said.
The ghost employees were identified in court documents as Mika Ilimaleota and Aneterea Mikaele.
Mikaele, who came from neighboring Samoa to do domestic work for Pola's family, was first hired on a year's contract with emergency office using Ilimaleota's name.
Later, Ilimaleota worked using his own name and papers. They were both hired, at separate times for $12,000 a year.
All the paychecks, amounting to about $20,000, were made out to Ilimaleota, according to prosecutors.
