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‘It was his own effort’
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Posted on Feb 01 2006
Thus said the mother of former Marianas Public Lands Authority employee John Hofschneider, who was earlier reported to be one of the relatives of MPLA chair Ana Demapan-Castro at the agency.
Louise Hofschneider said John Hofschneider is not the son-in-law of Demapan-Castro as earlier reported, but added that one of the MPLA’s daughters is her son’s girlfriend.
The mother said, though, that her son got a job at the MPLA because he was qualified and not because of his ties with Demapan-Castro.
“There were three people who interviewed him,” the mother said. Louise Hofschneider said her son left the MPLA in November 2005 to pursue his studies in Seattle, Washington.
Louise Hofschneider said she recently retired from the CNMI Supreme Court.
MPLA insiders earlier lamented the hiring practices at the agency, raising allegations of nepotism that are now being investigated by the Office of the Public Auditor, among other issues.
The MPLA chair had defended the agency, saying that she did not have any hand in her relatives’ hiring. She said the MPLA has a committee tasked with the hiring of personnel, which is headed by board member Nicolas Nekai. She also said her relatives were qualified for their respective jobs.
