A jury of four men and three women are hearing testimony from witnesses called in the case between the American Samoa Government and Lusia Tusi aka 'Sheila', a co-defendant in the prostitution case, which also implicates the owner of the Karaoke bar in Satala, Fa’asaina Park. The jury selection for the trial began on Monday, while the trial got underway yesterday.

Each of the women is charged with promoting prostitution second degree, a class C felony punishable with up to seven years in jail, a fine up to $5,000 or both, and two counts of third degree assault, which are both class A misdemeanors carrying a jail term of up to one year and a fine of up to $1,000 for each count.

Prosecuting for the government is Assistant Attorney General, Jennifer Bargmann while representing Park is Fiti Sunia. Assistant Public Defender Joel Shiver is representing Sheila.

The government’s case claims that police received a call from the Airport Security guards that two women “ILM” and “MW” were seeking assistance from them “and they are scared to leave the (security) office.”

Police arrived at the airport and spoke with the girls, who claimed their sponsor had assaulted them, Park, inside the Karaoke bar in Satala. Court filings say police spoke with “ILM” the first victim, who noted that she’s from Samoa. She said she came to the territory to work for a restaurant. “Upon her arrival on October 10, 2013 she learned that the restaurant happened to be a bar."

“ILM saw other girls were also working as the same bar, and their job description was to work as waitresses, but aside from being a waitress they were told by their sponsor/ boss (the defendant) to sit with the customers, especially fishermen from fishing boats, to try and get them to spend all their money.”

In the jury trial, ILM said she and her friend Claire had met a woman named May Pou, who told them about job opportunities in American Samoa, either in the restaurant or the bar, and the next day she came on the boat to American Samoa. ILM said that upon arriving in the territory she was picked up by two women and she was taken to where Park, her children and the other female employees resided in Leloaloa.

She further stated that the front portion of the house is nice while the back part, where they lived was in terrible condition and that there were seven girls living in that house. ILM said there are three refrigerators, with only two beds and one room where all the girls have their belongings stored.

She also said there is a restroom inside the house, however the female employees were not allowed to use it, rather they had to use the one outside.

ILM said that during staff meetings, Park would emphasize to her that she needs to observe and learn from the other employees who had been working at the karaoke bar before her. She said her first night working at the club she saw some inappropriate things like one of the female employees was kissing a guy who came to the bar while he was touching her breast.

She told Bargmann that “at staff meetings the female employees were instructed… to seduce the men with money, pamper them to spend as much money and if the man wants to touch my breast, let him. If he wants to kiss, let him,” said ILM.

Bargamann asked ILM if she wanted to follow the instructions and she said no.

ILM also told the court that all the female employees were told that they should drink the beer fast so the man can buy more beer.

The prosecutor also asked ILM if she had been taken to Immigration to get her government identification, and she replied no.

Bargmann asked ILM if she received any form of payment and the witness responded that she got paid the second month she started working. She received $50.

The court also heard from ILM that after the first month she contacted her mother in Samoa, asking her to call Park, to tell her that she (ILM) wanted to go back to Samoa.

ILM said Park approached her about the phone call from her mom and ILM told Park that she wanted to return to her family in Samoa. Park allegedly told her to wait until the following week.

The trial continues today.