THE BOAT PEOPLE TRIAL Each witness earns $128 per day

The alien smuggling trial has revealed that each of the prosecution’s six material witnesses is making $128 a day— or about 400 percent higher than the CNMI’s minimum wage workers’ daily earnings.

Based on the per diem rate, the federal government spends a total of $23,000 per month on the allowances of the six witnesses, who have been asked to testify against six defendants charged with alien smuggling.

The witnesses, who were among the 51 undocumented passengers aboard a Chinese fishing vessel interdicted by the US Coast Guard last April, were not charged with any crime. Federal authorities earlier sent them to California, and brought them back to Saipan last Aug. 23 to prepare for the trial.

At Wednesday’s cross examination by defense attorneys , Mel Grey, special agent of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, said the federal government pays the six material witnesses tax-free per diem allowances on top of hotel accommodation, and other privileges.

The six were originally accommodated at Summer Holiday Hotel. According to sources, they have been moved to Aquarius Condominium, a luxury establishment in Chalan Kanoa, which charges $800 a room per month.

“This litigation cost the American taxpayers a lot of money,” a source said.

On top of the amount spent on the material witnesses’ daily allowances and accommodation, the federal government also spends on the defendants’ transportation.

In an earlier interview, US Marshall Jack Salas said the US Marshal Service is chartering plane for the six defendants, who are being detained in Guam.

The defendants are being sent back and forth everyday to attend the jury trial at the US District Court of Saipan.

Salas could not tell the exact amount of money spent on chartered plane, saying the US Marshal Service headquarters in Washington D.C. is in charge of this task.

“It is very costly. I have a figure at the back of my mind, but I can’t say how much for sure. It is an expensive venture to support court prisoners,” Salas said.

At yesterday’s trial, INS Special Agent Cooper Toy said the witnesses were allowed to “come and go” and “leave the hotel” whenever they wish.

Some of the witnesses said last week they have decided to cooperate with INS and the US Attorney’s Office in hopes of getting rewarded with asylum in the United States.

They said, however, INS and other federal authorities told them they had “little chance” to get asylum, and that they would be sent back to China after the trial.

At yesterday’s trial, defense attorney Bruce Berline asked Toy if the boat passengers were advised of their Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent before federal investigators began conducting the interview.

“I can’t correctly say it was given,” Toy replied.

He said, however, he had no first-hand knowledge about the interview as he was only tasked to review the testimonies given by the witnesses to other INS investigators.

The jury heard the last witness yesterday.

Assistant US Atty. Gregory Baka, and the six defense attorneys — Berline, Eric Smith, William Campbell, Cindy Adams, Ben Salas, and Linda Wingenbaugh — are scheduled to start giving their closing arguments today.

Ten people from the same boat were originally charged with alien smuggling. Three crew men, including the pilot, pled guilty and became witnesses for the prosecution of six remaining defendants.

The tenth defendant, Gao Xing, is allegedly a minor. Gao’s attorney, Darrin Class, is asking the federal court to either dismiss the indictment against his 16-year-old client or place him under juvenile proceedings.

In separate proceedings yesterday morning, Federal Judge Alex Munson heard Darrin’s motion, but he has yet to rule on it (MCM)