Pacific

CNMI Rota mayor asks for further delay in trial

12:22 pm on 26 November 2019

The Northern Marianas mayor of Rota wants another delay before the start of his trial on corruption charges.

Efraim Atalig and his girlfriend, Evelyn Atalig, who is also charged, say the former FBI agent they hired to help them with their case needs more time to complete his investigation.

Rota Mayor, Efraim M. Atalig Photo: supplied

Through their lawyers, the accused said Jeremy Wolfe needed two more months to complete his probe.

The trial is set to start on 8 January next year.

The charges include wire fraud and theft from programmes receiving federal funds, and involve at least eight trips taken by the pair in 2018 to Guam, Palau, the United States, South Korea, and Saipan.

In May, the trial was delayed so the mayor could recover from heart surgery.