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Court Report

SILIGA ENTERS GUILTY PLEA IN THREE SEPARATE EMBEZZLEMENT CASES

Katerina Siliga, a former Insurance Agent with South Seas Insurance, who’s charged in connection with three separate embezzlement cases, has entered guilty pleas in the criminal cases against her. The first case filed against Siliga accuses her of misappropriating money for the life insurance policy of a couple who reside in Savai’i.

The defendant faces two counts of embezzlement in this case, however the plea agreement is that she enters a guilty plea to one of the embezzlement charges while the government moved to dismiss the remaining count.  

The second embezzlement case against Siliga accuses her of taking money from two women who gave the defendant the money so she could buy K-fares from Hawaiian Airlines for the two victims. The government alleges that there were no K-fares, and the defendant used part of the money for her personal use.

In this case the defendant is charged with embezzlement and stealing. She pleaded guilty to the stealing count while the government moved to dismiss the embezzlement count.

In the last case filed against Siliga, she is also faced with embezzlement. The defendant is accused of misappropriating payments of a life insurance policy. The policy was for the victim’s father, for which he made payments to the defendant. However when the father died, the victim contacted the Insurance company who said there was no life insurance policy under the victim’s name for his father. Siliga pleaded guilty to that embezzlement charge.

Chief Justice Michael Kruse accepted the plea agreement and scheduled sentencing for the defendant on February 15, 2013.

The Chief Justice ordered a probation report for this matter. Siliga is represented by Assistant Public Defender Mike White while prosecuting is Assistant Attorney General Kimberly Hyde.

STEPFATHER IN COURT FACING SEXUALLY RELATED CHARGES

A stepfather is facing charges on allegations that he touched his stepdaughter in a sexual manner. The defendant made his initial appearance in the District Court yesterday morning.

He’s charged with two counts of sexual abuse first degree which are both class D felonies that carry jail terms of up to five years imprisonment, a fine of $5,000 or both, and third degree assault, a class C misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300 or both.

Samoa News is withholding the name of the defendant to protect the identity of the victim in this matter. According to the government’s case, on Dec. 23, 2012 the victim told police that her stepfather asked her to sleep with him and she did so with her back facing him.

However, she felt the defendant’s hand caressing and massaging her breasts. The court filings say that another incident occurred earlier in December, on Dec. 16, 2012, where it’s alleged the defendant was lying next to the victim while he caressed her breasts.

On Jan. 1, 2013 the victim said the defendant found out she was pregnant. He got angry when he found out, according to court records, and allegedly threatened to slice her throat with a knife. The defendant is being held on bail of $10,000 and is represented by Assistant Public Defender Mike White while prosecuting for the government is Deputy Attorney General Mitzie Jessop.

FORMER COURT MARSHAL CHARGED FOR VICIOUS DOG

Former Court Marshal Leneuoti Tuaua made his initial appearance in the District Court yesterday, on one count of possession of a live vicious animal. Bail for Tuaua, who’s represented by Mark Ude, is set at $500.

The criminal count against Tuaua is a class D felony punishable by up to five years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000 or both. According to the government’s case on Nov. 6, 2012 a doctor with the LBJ hospital reported to police that a woman was allegedly attacked by a dog and police then investigated the case.

The victim told police she was walking from her house to work when she was attacked by dogs. Court filings say, the victim did not provoke the dogs in any way and she managed to ward off two dogs but the remaining dog bit her on the thigh and a man came out of nowhere and chased the dogs away.

The victim further stated that she was approached by a woman who seemed to be the owner of the three dogs but the woman did not offer her any help. The victim sustained a laceration about three centimeters wide and six centimeters deep, and two stitches were required to close up the wound.

Police approached the home where the dogs were, and the defendant admitted the dogs belong to him. He said he was aware that his dog attacked a woman earlier in the day. Court filings say on Nov. 27, 2012 that police, along with an employee of the Agriculture office apprehended two of the dogs that attacked the victim.

COURT ORDERS MEDICAL RECORD BE DELIVERED TO DEFENSE BY 4PM TODAY

Chief Justice Michael Kruse ordered the government to present Assistant Public Defender Leslie Cardin with the medical record of the victim, in an assault case that was called in court, against Jovian Toloa.

Toloa, who is facing second degree assault, public peace disturbance, and endangering the welfare of a child, was in court for his pre-trial conference.

The incident from which the charges stem is a ride home the victim gave Toloa’s girlfriend. Allegedly, Toloa assumed the girl was in a relationship with the victim and assaulted the victim in his vehicle while his daughter was present. 

The last time this case was called, Cardin notified the court that she was waiting for the discovery report and the medical record of the victim in this case. In Court yesterday, Assistant Attorney General Julie Pasquale informed the court that the discovery was presented to the defense, but they are still waiting for the medical record from the hospital.

Kruse ordered the medical record be available for the defense by 4 p.m. today. Pasquale’s attempt to ask the court for more time was unsuccessful. The Chief Justice responded the court will not be controlled by her calendar and ordered this matter be set for hearing on Friday.

Toloa who is unable to post bail remains in custody on bail of $5,000.