European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 29, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday july 29, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 7 samoan Delegate aide arrested for fraud Washington a american Samoa s Delegate to the House of representatives and his administrative assistant conspired to defraud the government of More than $ 130,000 by putting ghost employees on their congressional payroll the . Attorney s office announced wednesday. An eight Page information filed in conjunction with a plea agreement reached with the two defendants said Fofo . Sunia and his aide used the Money they obtained from the scheme to entertain constituents pay election Campaign expenses and make House and car loan payments. The document filed in . District court said that from february 1983 to August 1986 Sunia and assist witnesses testify on false drug tests before Congress Washington a two californians testified wednesday that drug tests which produced erroneous findings Cost them their jobs and caused terrible disruptions to their lives. Collette Clark of san Diego and Alan Pettigrew Ofsan Francisco told a House investigations subcommittee that they were required to take a urinalysis that proved positive although both said they were users of illegal drugs. Both were fired but got their jobs Back after filing a lawsuit against their employers. Clark took a test because her employer san Diego Gas and electric co., required one for All new employees and those who were to be promoted. She was fired after her drug test showed positive for marijuana. After she filed suit in 1986, it was determined whatnot Only were the results of her tests invalid but also the confirmatory test which the Laboratory claimed i conducted was in fact never done. Her suit was settled out of court. I think that drug testing in the workplace is machiavellian in that the end result does not justify the Means Clark told the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations. Drugs in the workplace or any place else Are wrong but so i drug testing and two wrongs have never made a right. I do not think that a person s livelihood should depend on a lab test result she said. I know that will never allow myself to be left open to Chance again that if i have to submit to the indignity of giving an other urine Sample it will be on my own terms through my own Choice of a lab and my own personal ant Matthew k. Luli falsely certified to the House finance office that people living in american Samoa and elsewhere were employed in Sunia s Washington con Gressional office. The ghost employees weren t even aware their names were listed As congressional employees said the office of . Attorney Jay Stephens. Stephens office said in a statement that Sunia an Luli will appear in court to enter guilty pleas in the very near Albert Comeaux Sunia s press Secretary said the Delegate is out of town and referred All Calls to his attorney Earl Silbert who was not immediately Avail Able for comment his Secretary said. Sunia s assistant forged endorsements of paychecks Young heroine Tara Zyhowski 7, died while trying to save her Mother who had become entangled in an electric Fence near their Home in Claridge a. Tara was helping her Mother Karen escape earlier this week when she touched the Fence and received a fatal charge of 100-Volt electricity. Issued for the ghost employees and deposited the Money in his own Bank account and in Sunia s election Campaign account. The first count of the information said Sunia and Luli conspired to defraud the United states of More than $130,000, a crime punishable with up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 Fine. The second count said Luli submitted a false payroll document As part of the fraud scheme in violation of a Federal Law prohibiting false statements a crime that carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 Fine. According to the information filed in court documents were prepared forged and submitted to the office of finance so that payroll checks would be Issue Din the name of each person named on the forms. Senate approves abortion payments despite veto threat Washington a the Senate voted wednes Day to extend medicaid abortion payments to rape an incest victims although president Reagan has said he might veto a $140 billion appropriations Bill Over the 73-19 vote came during the third Day of contentious debate on the fiscal 1989 appropriations Bill for the departments of labor health and human services and now pays for poor women s abortions Only if their lives Are . Lowell Weicker r-conn., who championed the expanded medicaid coverage during the committee process said the 7-year-old ban on federally funded abortions for rape and incest victims has caused untold hardship and tragedy among the a approved on the floor the provision requires prompt reporting of the rape or incest incident in order for a victim to qualify for Federal funds. It also gives state Legislatures authority to adopt less Liberal funding sincerely believe this amendment reflects the Middle ground. Protects the maximum number olives said sen. James Exon d-neb., who offered the modified floor labor has education appropriations Bill passed by the House does not expand eligibility for medicaid abortions beyond what is permitted in cur rent Law. That difference and others will be resolved in a House Senate conference office of management and budget has said presidential advisers would recommend a veto of the entire appropriations Bill which would keep the three agencies in business after oct. 1, Over the medicaid expansion payments. Nasa needs More accurate weather system Washington a a National research Council study released wednesday said Nasa needs to build a system to More accurately predict weather conditions at the moment spacecraft Are launched from the Kennedy space Center in Florida. The study which Analysed the system used by the National aeronautics and space administration to protect its spacecraft from lightning and other Adver Eweather said that major improvements Are needed in organization and , the panel said has been poorly organized to provide weather support and the result is a system that is less than state of the science the report said. It noted that unless improvements in the weather fore casting system Are made at the Kennedy Center weather will loom larger As a threat to a rejuvenated and accelerated space flight study said that Nasa must have a system that can accurately forecast weather and lightning conditions that Are valid for at least two of lightning electric Fields aloft. And rapid wind variations Are most urgently needed the report a. Ernst director of Nasa s weather support office said the space Agency asked for the study and Isnow studying the results. We be taken some initial Steps and the recommendations confirm that the Steps we be taken Are the right thing to do said Ernst. We be got a better handle on the problem the arc recommended these actions equipping an aircraft with instruments to measure electric Fields aloft and to gauge wind velocity and Turbo Lance in the path of a spacecraft to be launched or landed. Installation of an instrument that will detect Sud Den wind changes. Installation of additional instruments to Monitor the approach of major thunderstorm systems. Nasa managers were criticized in the study for no defining the precise minimum weather conditions for a space shuttle launch. The weather support system has not been Able to concentrate sufficiently on the special problems of the space shuttle the report said. Some critical parameters Are shuttle test delayed again Cape canaveral Fla. A a Vita test firing of space shuttle discovery s three main engines has been delayed again until Mon Day because of a faulty fuel valve and other problems the space Agency announced. The troubles halted a practice countdown Dur ing which the spaceship s external fuel tank Wasto have been loaded wednesday night the first time a shuttle has been fuelled since the Chal Lenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986. Officials said the count was held up several hours by the need to replace a fuel valve. Other technical problems also contributed to the delay. The flight readiness firing of the three engines had been set for saturday but earlier this week was put off until sunday to give technicians More time to close out the engine compartment. Currently not measured such As drop sizes in Clouds and rain which Are hazardous because of the possibility of protective tile damage and there is no program to initiate these types of measurements the report said. Ernst said that the Agency is planning to put special weather instruments aboard an air plane that will cruise near the space Center during a space launch said the air plane will be equipped to measure the potential for lightning in Clouds up to 45,000 feet. Nasa also is installing instruments on a buoy anchored in the Atlantic Ocean East of the launch said this should give More information on approaching , he said the space Agency is planning to install a radar that will warn of wind Shear Turbo requested the arc study when lightning caused the destruction of an Atlas Centaur rocket after it was launched from the Kennedy space Center. Late studies showed the rocket was hit by four strokes of lightning 48 seconds after liftoff. The electrical Dis charge disrupted an on Board computer memory sys tem and the vehicle went out of control. Nasa destroyed the rocket to protect property and people downrange using a signal from the the time of the Atlas Centaur destruction the arc panel said Nasa and the air weather service of the air Force were operating one of the largest net works of electrical Field measurements in the , the report said these measurements had not been entered into the system that committed to , As they Rise from the launch pad and Streak toward space Are Able to trigger lightning if they penetrate Clouds that contain High charges of electricity
