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Court Report

HEARING CONTINUED FOR ASG EMPLOYEES FIGHTING TERMINATION

Due to one of the government’s witness being unavailable, there has been a delay of the hearing in the case of three Port Administration employees who are disputing their termination after they failed a mandatory drug test required of Port Administration Employees.

The hearing was scheduled for three days this week before Administrative Law Judge Toetagata Albert Mailo, however the government again moved for another continuance.

The three men, who received termination letters on July, 2011 were Ierenimo Graf, Tu’ufuli Tu’ufuli, and James Mamea.

According to Assistant Attorney General Sayles the Port Administration is labeled by the Coast Guard and Homeland Security as a sensitive area and everyone working at the Port must undergo drug tests which are regulated by the federal government, and the three Port employees took the drug test and failed.

The three men were initially placed on leave, however they’re back to work, but cannot work in the positions they held before.

Graf has been employed with the Port for 19 years while Mamea and Tu’ufuli have been working under ten years.

He added that the three are working in a non-sensitive area of the Port, namely with the maintenance crew.

The new hearing for the three employees has been scheduled for June 12, 2012.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE

A man who allegedly struck his wife’s head with a piece of lumber is now facing second degree assault, private peace disturbance and public peace disturbance charges, and has denied the charges against him.

He was arraigned in High Court yesterday morning, before Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond and Associate Judge Mamea Sala Jr.

According to the government’s case, police received a call from the LBJ hospital about a woman who was allegedly assaulted by her husband, when she was taken in for medical treatment. Samoa News is withholding the name of the defendant to protect the identity of the victim involved.

It’s alleged the defendant had a verbal argument with his wife after she asked her husband not to go out drinking.

As a result of the alleged attack, the victim suffered a cut which required six stitches.

The defendant, who appeared in court yesterday, was accompanied by his wife.

He has been released on bail of $5,000, and is represented by Assistant Public Defender Leslie Cardin while prosecuting the case is Assistant Attorney General Cable Poag.