While the criminal case against the Governor’s Chief of Staff Fiu Johnny Saelua makes its way through the judicial process, the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor has concluded its investigation into claims of unpaid wages for a young woman who lived with and served the chief’s family.
The woman received nearly $9,000 in back wages as a result of the investigation.
A Labor Department spokesman told KHJ News the investigation covered a period from September 22, 2015 to October 1, 2016 and investigators found that the employer failed to provide a domestic worker any compensation beyond lodging and meals, in violation of the Fair labor Standards Act.
The spokesman added that the employer also failed to keep any records of hours worked.
The employer paid $8,914 in back wages found due, and the case was administratively closed by the end of 2017, said the DOL spokesman.
It was in December of 2016 that this case came to the fore when the woman and her husband were brought to the dock to be sent to Samoa on the Lady Naomi.
However an alert immigration officer questioned the lack of travel documents and a deportation order.
This led to the involvement of victim’s advocate Ipu Lefiti. Subsequently allegations started surfacing that the woman was taken advantage of sexually.
Since the appointment of an independent counsel, Attorney David Vargas last year to handle the case there has been no further information on how the investigation is proceeding.
