Atalig’s 2 other trips to be used as evidence

The U.S. government intends to introduce evidence Rota Mayor Efraim M. Atalig’s two other trips not included in the indictment and has produced over 600 pages of materials related to such trips.

Atalig, through counsel David G. Banes, revealed the U.S. government’s action in his unopposed motion for extending pretrial motion deadlines.

U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona granted Atalig’s motion to extend his filing of pretrial motions from Jan. 22, 2019 to Jan. 29, 2019.

Banes said the prosecution last Thursday and Friday indicated that it intended to introduce as evidence the two trips not described in the superseding indictment at trial under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) to prove “motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident.”

Banes said the prosecution produced more than 600 pages of discovery materials related to those two new trips.

Atalig intends to file a motion to exclude such evidence, but needs additional time for his counsel to review those discovery materials and to prepare the motion.

Banes said the counsel for the U.S. government has indicated that he would not oppose the requested extension of pretrial motion deadlines.

Banes said counsel for co-defendant Evelyn M. Atalig indicated he would move the court for the same extension as to Mr. Atalig as well.

Manglona also granted yesterday Evelyn Atalig’s request for extension.

Last September, a federal grand jury indicted Atalig after he allegedly arranged a government-funded trip from Rota to Guam for himself and 12 other persons, including eight municipal employees, on a false claim that he was going to check for surplus or equipment at the Naval Base in Guam. He allegedly came to participate in a partisan political rally last June 23 in Mangilao.

The indictment charged Atalig with one count of wire fraud.

The Office of the Attorney General also filed on the same day criminal charges in Superior Court against Atalig and seven other Rota municipal officials in connection with the Guam political rally.

Atalig was re-elected as Rota mayor during the last Nov. 13 election.

Last Nov. 28, the U.S. government filed a superseding indictment in federal court charging Mayor Atalig and his girlfriend, Evelyn M. Atalig, with five corruption charges for allegedly arranging CNMI government-funded trips to California, Republic of Palau, Guam, and Saipan under fraudulent pretenses.

The Ataligs entered pleas of not guilty of all charges in both cases.