Is the AG up to the task or…?

As I made my rounds between here, Tinian and Rota, people have raised questions about certain land cases that are before the Attorney General’s Office for investigation.

These cases involved land that gave birth to land (Only On Rota) or a citizen given public land after another person was told by a former governor he would be the recipient. Or land given to friends when that individual really has no right to such public land.

How about embezzlement cases where others are prosecuted and had to endure the indignities of mass media coverage while the “we few” are spared legal scrutiny? Does this sound familiar and what’s the motive of throwing this case under the rug?

What about a former police officer who was found to have stolen and stored several hundred rounds of bullets? Isn’t this a felony case or was it okay to treat it as a misdemeanor because the AG said so? Imagine if the case involved an ordinary citizen. He or she would have been given the full length of the law, right?

There was also an investigation done of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation to which the former helmsman couldn’t’ justify the expenditure of more than $99 million. Has this case been thrown under the rug too hoping the statute of limitation runs out? Would the former helmsman be forced to pay back what he owes CUC to the tune of $280,000?

There are former public officials who have misspent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers money. Are they going to be prosecuted or forced to pay back what they have misspent or are these cases ready for the “under the rug” treatment, too?

These cases require solid answers from the Attorney General’s Office sooner than later. I want those responsible for ordering that some of these cases be hidden under the rug to answer to the general public why the obvious selective prosecution or the “I heard nothing, saw nothing, didn’t know anything” syndrome. Is it because some of these cases are too complicated? Or is it more an issue of self-preservation?

It is really up to the AG’s Office, the top law enforcement agency of the CNMI, to ensure that equal application of law is carried out to the hilt. So far, I refuse to believe that such is the case. Please explain what’s the status of cases mentioned herein so we know that you folks aren’t snoozin`.

On Ted Mitchell’s vilification

A certain judge signed off a document allowing Attorney Ted Mitchell to freeze all funds of a certain company.

The local judicial system found out that such a decision was a complete goof-up. But it wasn’t willing to admit its own error.

Thus, the end game of vilifying an attorney who only wanted to make sure that the company pays for his client’s dues. The company isn’t at fault. It was the judge who signed-off on the fund freeze.

Now, two other judges are trying to inflict spins that would make Mitchell the villain rather than the judge who goofed. This goofy cover-up tells us a lot about the need to find ways to police even judges on the bench.

I hope that when these judges are up for re-appointment or election (to continue or not) that voters take a closer scrutiny into how they have conveniently passed the buck of goof-ups right back to attorneys who outsmarted them in their own court. It’s an interesting case that I’d like to research just a little critically someday soon.

Strictly a personal view. John S. DelRosario Jr. is publisher of Saipan Tribune.