Trial of ex-DOLI Rota official starts

The federal jury trial of a former official of the Department of Labor and Immigration on Rota began yesterday, with the impaneling of jurors who will decide the fate of 48-year-old Fermina Atalig.

Atalig is facing charges that she was involved in a conspiracy to submit false typhoon disaster claims for seven ineligible applicants in 2003.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson began yesterday morning the selection among a pool of prospective jurors. He was able to impanel the jurors yesterday afternoon. As of press time, the opening arguments were ongoing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran is prosecuting the case. Veteran defense attorney G. Anthony Long served as counsel for the Atalig.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Atalig on Rota in January 2005, after her indictment on one count of conspiracy to submit false claims and to make false statements, and seven counts of false statements.

The court then granted the U.S. government’s recommendation for her temporary release on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

Atalig was the former director of the Division of Employment Services for DOLI on Rota.

Moran stated in the indictment that Atalig, as DES director, was in charge of the Disaster Unemployment Assistance program on Rota during the Typhoon Pongsona disaster assistance period. The defendant approved or denied all applications for DUA, calculated award amounts and supervised her staff in calculating award amounts, Moran said.

On Dec. 11, 2002, President George W. Bush declared Rota a disaster area four days after Typhoon Pongsona battered the island. The CNMI government, through DOLI, administered the DUA program for the typhoon disaster victims.

Moran said Atalig and her co-conspirators included false information in DUA applications that they prepared on behalf of the seven applicants.

They overstated the income of the applicants and on that basis awarded excessive DUA benefit amounts, Moran said.

The defendant and her co-conspirators allegedly included in DUA applications a letter purportedly from the Rota mayor falsely certifying that an applicant was a full-time farmer or fisherman.

He said Atalig and her co-conspirators approved DUA benefits for applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they had not been employed before Typhoon Pongsona and therefore were not unemployed as a result of it.

They approved DUA benefits for applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they had other sources of income, he said.

Moran said the defendant and her co-conspirators approved DUA benefits for applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they had not resided on Rota prior to the typhoon and during the disaster assistance period.

Atalig and her co-conspirators approved DUA benefits to applicants whom they knew were ineligible because they were not farmers or fishermen as incorrectly stated on their applications, he alleged.

The defendant pleaded not guilty.