Clarence Sriderio Rengulbai, former chairman of the Aimeliik State Public Land Authority, has been charged with two felony counts: Theft of Government Property in the First Degree and Misconduct in Public Office. The charges were brought by Interim Special Prosecutor Tamara Hutzler.
Theft of Government Property in the First Degree, classified as a Class A felony, carries a potential sentence of up to 25 years in prison or a fine of up to $50,000. Misconduct in Public Office, a Class B felony, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $25,000.
Rengulbai is accused of diverting land lease payments meant for the Aimeliik State Public Land Authority to his personal account during his tenure as chairman. According to court documents, Rengulbai allegedly received an annual lease payment of $87,846 from Palau Golf Inc. in December 2022 for land leased from the authority. The payment check, issued to “Clarence S. Rengulbai Aimeliik State Public Land Authority,” was deposited into Rengulbai’s personal bank account. Records show the funds were used to cover his personal expenses, including a loan payment.
During an Aimeliik State Public Land Authority board meeting in April 2024, Rengulbai, no longer chairman but still a board member, admitted to receiving the lease payment. He claimed the money belonged to him because the check had his name on it, despite its intended purpose for the public land authority.
Jessie Zhang, a representative from Palau Golf Inc., confirmed that the check was issued with Rengulbai’s name at his insistence and was intended as the annual lease payment for fiscal year 2022-2023.
Rengulbai is the first public official to be charged by the Office of the Special Prosecutor since former prosecutor April Dawn left in July 2023.