OAG files formal charge against Zajradhara

The Office of the Attorney General has dropped two possible charges against Zaji O. Zajradhara and has only formally charged him with disturbing the peace in the case involving his wife.

Assistant attorney general Brin K. Toolan filed last Wednesday the information charging the 57-year-old Zajradhara with disturbing the peace in relation to his arrest for allegedly calling his wife lazy and hitting her on the forehead in China Town.

According to Toolan, on May 25, 2020, on Saipan, Zajradhara hit his wife with a towel or his hand. During a hearing at the Supreme Court courtroom last Wednesday, the defendant, who appeared with assistant public defender Vina Seelam, waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

The wife, through the Office of the Attorney General and the victim advocate, and Zajradhara requested to lift the order requiring him to stay away from her while the case is pending.

Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho granted the request.

Arraignment will be on June 15 at 9am.

Police said the wife was crying while carrying her baby when police officers responded to the house last May 25. The wife was taken to the hospital after she complained of dizziness and pain in the head.

Zajradhara was arrested that same day initially on charges of assault and battery, assault, and disturbing the peace.

According to police detective Eugene Dillay, when the officers arrived at the apartment, Zajradhara told them that he accidentally hit his wife with a towel. The wife told police that she and Zajradhara were arguing and that he had grabbed a towel and hit her in the forehead with it.

Last year, Rep. Janet U. Maratita (R-Saipan) and five other lawmakers introduced a House resolution declaring Zajradhara persona non-grata in the CNMI.

Maratita said Zajradhara, formerly known as Steven Carl Farmer, maliciously filed numerous labor claims against various businesses in the CNMI and expressed violent and threatening nature to such businesses and employees of the CNMI Department of Labor.

The lawmaker also said that Zajradhara was convicted in Wisconsin of receiving/concealing stolen property in 1995 and domestic assault in 1997, and was deported from Japan for violating Japan’s Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act.