The High Court in American Samoa has denied a motion by the former government chief procurement officer, Tafua Fa'au Seumanutafa, to dismiss local criminal charges against him.
Seumanutafa had argued that he already faced prosecution for similar charges in a federal court in Honolulu.
He had argued that he risked being tried twice on the same charges.
The court disagreed and pointed out that federal and territorial charges against Seumanutafa, were separate offences.
Seumanutafa is to be sentenced in February for both local and federal charges, to which he pled guilty under plea agreements.
