Calladan Tkel appeared for arraignment on August 18 with Public Defender Jason Shaw and denied his charges.
Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Avore appeared on behalf of the government.Tkel’s status conference is set for September September 11 at 9:45 am in Melekeok courthouse.Tkel posted $500 surety bond.Tkel was charged on August 12 for escaping from custody and burglarized the Palau Pension Plan Office.Tkel stole four envelopes containing checks from the said office.The affidavit of Detective Willy Mays Towai of the Criminal Investigation Section stated that their office received information that the Palau Pension Plan office was burglarized and some checks were stolen.The court document stated that on October 4, 2008, an inmate informed a Corrections Officer that there were checks scattered on the ground behind his cell.The officers collected the checks and noted that they were Palau Pension Plan checks.The officers went to the Pension Plan office and saw that a small sliding window that faced the Koror jail was already open.The document further stated that a Correction Officer found Palau Pension Plan checks at Tkel’s pocket.The affidavit stated that Tkel admitted of burglarizing the office on October 4, 2008.Tkel stated that he just returned from Subelek farm with other inmates when he walked to the Pension Plan office and removed the screen from a small window facing the jail and climbed into the office through the window.Tkel grabbed four envelopes containing checks and threw them over the fence into the jail compound.He returned to the jail and retrieved the envelopes from where he had thrown them.
