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Apia Protests Arrest Of MP Hans Joachim Keil In U.S.

By Fili Sagapolutele in Pago Pago
Thursday: September 18, 2008

The government of Samoa has filed a protest with the U.S. State Department over the arrest in the United States of Samoa Member of Parliament Hans Joachim Keil.

Keil, 64, is charged with one count of falsely and willfully representing himself to be a U.S. citizen and one count of willfully and knowingly using and attempting to use a U.S. passport, according to a criminal complaint filed Sept. 10 at the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Missouri.

Court documents say Keil is currently the associate minister of Commerce, Labor and Industry for the government of Samoa and a member of Parliament since 1988.  He is a former Minister of Commerce.

In a statement released in Apia on Tuesday evening, Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telefoni Retzlaff said the Samoa government “has strongly protested the detention” of Keil on immigration charges.

He said “there has been a great misunderstanding and we believe the matter will be resolved” and Keil “will be completely exonerated.”

News reports in Samoa say that Keil has been using his U.S. passport to travel to the U.S and the arrest came as a surprise to people who know him.

Court documents said that on Sept. 6, 2008, Keil allegedly presented a. U.S. passport at the port of entry, the Los Angeles International Airport. After his entry Keil continued his trip to Branson, Mo.

During an interview on Sept. 9, in Branson, Keil told a federal agent that he is a U.S. citizen and presented a U.S. passport. Keil also presented a Samoan Diplomatic passport as proof of his citizenship and status in Samoa.

An analysis by the immigration and naturalization service points out that Keil is not legally a U.S. citizen, although he has a U.S. passport. It says that his application for U.S. citizenship was denied in 1967 because his mother, who was born in American Samoa, did not met residency requirements, according to court documents.

A detention hearing and preliminary examination was held last Friday, Sept. 12 at the federal court in Springfield, Mo., but has since been continued due to unresolved issues as well as the defense’s request for a continuation of the hearing. As of Monday, Keil remains in U.S. custody.

According to U.S. District Court documents, Keil was apprehended on Sept. 9 by federal agents outside the Dutton Family Theater in Branson, Missouri.

Keil “served with distinction in the United States Air Force, but the charges relate back to immigration matters in 1967, which had been considered settled,” said Misa.

Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has written to Secretary of State Dr. Condoleeza Rice and the officiating judge. Samoa’s Ambassador to the United States, Feturi Elisaia, attended Keil’s hearing in Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 12 and is offering assistance, said Misa.

“Government has moved aggressively to support Associate Minister...Keil, as it would move aggressively to support any Samoan citizen that experiences difficulties in other countries,” said Misa.

Both counts against Keil are violation of U.S. law and if convicted Keil is looking at three years in jail for count one and 15 years in jail for count two. Each count carries a fine of $250,000.

The federal prosecutor and defense attorney have not responded to e-mail questions.