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Atalig, Yana free to walk around at new prison
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Posted on Aug 02 2008
Lawyers Antonio Atalig and Reynaldo Yana, who have been in jail for over four months now, are together in an open space housing at the new adult prison in Susupe.
Department of Corrections Commissioner Lino S. Tenorio said in an interview with Saipan Tribune that Atalig and Yana are in the minimum security section of the new prison, together with other misdemeanor offenders.
Tenorio said Kazuyoshi Miura is confined alone at one end of the building, while the two lawyers are together at the other end with several other housing “pots.”
“Atalig and Yana are in one housing pot where it’s more of an open area. They are not confined in an individual cell, unlike Miura,” he said.
The commissioner said Atalig’s and Yana’s pot is kind of an open space where they are free to walk around and mingle with other detainees or inmates there.
At the old detention facility, Yana was always seen spending time playing his favorite game—chess—with other detainees.
During a previous interview, Atalig said that Yana taught him how to read the Bible.
Atalig also stated it is impossible to do anything when a person is incarcerated.
“Your freedom is limited [but] the train keeps moving forward up to now,” said Atalig, referring to Superior Court judge Kenneth Govendo.
Last March 28, Govendo issued a contempt order against the two lawyers and ordered them to be imprisoned until they return the $1.3 million in attorneys’ fees that they received in the Angel Malite estate probate.
On June 16, Govendo continued their detention. He remanded them back to DOC after he found out that the two lawyers failed to return or do something for the return of the $1.3 million.
Govendo suggested that Atalig mortgage his property and told Yana he may ask people whom he had helped before to conduct fundraisings for his release.
Atalig and Yana insisted they could not do anything to return the money considering that they are in prison.
The two’s next hearing will be on Aug. 15, 2008.
Last May, Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja also sanctioned the two embattled lawyers to jointly pay a total of $5,900 fine plus $1,000 in judicial costs for their improper conduct in connection with the Malite estate’s probate.
