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Case continued for ASG employee accused of defrauding Workmen’s Comp

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Trial Division of the High Court has continued the case to another 30 days of an ASG employee accused of engaging in a scheme that defrauded the Workmen’s Compensation Board of a little over $100,000.

The continuance is to give more time to the government to put together the discovery for the case before handling it over to the defense team.

Angela Monica Langkilde, who is out on a $10,000 surety bond appeared in High Court last Friday for her pretrial conference.

Prosecuting the case is Assistant Attorney General Jason Mitchell while Richard Desaulles, an attorney from RDA Law Firm, is representing Langkilde.

When the case was called, Desaulles informed the court that they are still waiting for the government to turn over discovery for the case. Without discovery, they are unable to determine what motions they have to file and argue in court.

“We made a request for discovery 6 months ago, and we still have received no single piece of discovery,” Desaulles told the court.

“What is happening government?” Patea asked the government’s attorney. Mitchell confirmed the defense’s statement, saying that the government is still trying to put together discovery for the case before turning it over to the defense.

“What is the delay?” Patea asked again.

Mitchell stated that the government is still waiting for a statement from one of the physicians who is off island.

“Is that all you can only depend on, a statement from one physician who is off island?” Patea asked.

Mitchell replied, “No your honor. We have a list of all the evidence along with the police report to support our case. We only need the statement from this physician to help strengthen our case.”

Patea shook his head before ordered the government to make sure the defense receives discovery within another 30 days. Langkilde’s pretrial conference is now scheduled on Oct. 12, 2018.

BACKGROUND

According to the government, Langkilde, an employee of the ASG Sports Complex, falsely claimed that her foot was injured while performing duty at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tafuna. As a result, she allegedly filed a false report with the Workmen’s Compensation Board and paid money to other co-employees, who assisted her with her injury report — resulting in her being compensated a little over $100,000 for the injury.

The government claims that the three employees who testified in a hearing before the Workmen’s Compensation Council in support of Langkilde’s claims were the same three who told investigators that Langkilde’s claim was fraudulent and she did not injure her foot at work.