Investigate AGO

The Attorney General’s Office came under fire anew yesterday for its recent actions on cases that have demonstrated alleged “selective prosecution” and “retaliation” against local residents who legally challenge its authority.

Rep. Stanley T. Torres hurled the charges in a privilege speech during yesterday’s session of the House of Representatives as he called for oversight hearing on the AGO.

Speaker Benigno R. Fitial immediately ordered the Judiciary and Governmental Operations
Committee to investigate into the allegations, saying Mr. Torres’ request should be taken “very seriously.”

Government lawyers have shown bias, coincidental, and selective prosecution based on documents and evidence in several cases handled by the AGO, according to Mr. Torres.

“The AGO apparently wants to maintain their own agenda at times, and not the constitutional agenda of the executive branch, which is to enforce the CNMI laws — and not pass judgment for personal satisfaction or retaliation,” he said.

Asking his colleagues to join him in his crusade to stop what he said as unfair actions within the agency, Mr. Torres noted that the
AGO’s far-reaching powers can destroy local islanders raised in simple ways and customs.

“It seems the AGO can intimidate anyone who challenges them by creating any bad scenario they wish to create,” added the representative.

“I ask the Speaker to schedule hearings into the AGO cases that the public wish to bring forward. Cases that have been shelved and passed over. . . that have been pushed forward due to bias and prejudice against any of our local residents. . .that have been delayed by incompetence, mismanagement,” he said.

To back up his allegations, Mr. Torres cited in particular a 17-month old case in which a
Filipino contract worker died in a car accident in Puerto Rico.

He said he had asked the AGO about the status of the case, but was told that it was still under investigation, although the police had already filed its report immediately after the Oct. 24, 1998 accident.

Based on the police report, a woman — a U.S. national, was involved in the car collision that claimed the life of the contract worker.
She was later sent to Honolulu for further hospitalization, but has since recovered from the accident.

“The suspect has not been charged. I have a feeling the AGO knows where she is,” explained the representative. “They have to do something so that justice will be served on behalf of the victim’s family.”

An arch-critic of the AGO, Mr. Torres recently had questioned its motive in filing a sexual abuse case against lawyer Joey Arriola early this month when the alleged incident occurred more than two years ago.

He described the lawsuit as suspicious in light of the victory of the high-profile lawyer against the AGO in a case in which former acting Attorney General Maya B. Kara was forced out of office for unconstitutionally assuming the post.
Assistant Attorney General James Benedetto has denied charges. Mr. Arriola pled not guilty during an arraignment last week and the court set his trial for November.

Acting Attorney General Herb Soll could not be reached for comment on Mr. Torres’ latest allegations.