The trial of a mayor in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) has been postponed so he can recover from open heart surgery.
The mayor of Rota, Efraim Atalig, has been in the Philippines for surgery, and his lawyer asked for a postponement last week.
Mr Atalig and his girlfriend Evelyn Atalig have been charged with wire fraud and theft from programmes receiving federal funds, charges they deny.
The trial has been postponed until October.
