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‘MPLA probe will be given priority’
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Posted on Feb 15 2005
The requested audit on the Marianas Public Lands Authority’s travel expenses will be given priority, according to public auditor Mike Sablan.
Sablan reported yesterday that he has met with Senate President Joaquin Adriano regarding the lawmaker’s request for an audit of the MPLA officials’ trips over the past two months.
He and the senator are making arrangements to have another meeting before the end of the week to discuss Adriano’s concerns in detail, Sablan added.
“The concerns that [Adriano] raised are good concerns. I think that [the Office of the Public Auditor] needs to take a look into the travel issue that the senator raised,” Sablan said. “Our office takes requests from members of the Legislature seriously. This is one request that will be given priority.”
Adriano has accused MPLA of spending over $50,000 in public funds for unwarranted trips to the United States in December 2004 and January 2005.
“I am in receipt of solid information that MPLA board members took trips to the United States mainland during this time period, and that many of these trips over the holiday season and into the New Year were allegedly for personal pleasure, rather than public purposes,” Adriano said in a letter to Sablan.
“At a time when the board should have been acting on revenue generating proposals for the government, it appears that MPLA officials have been off squandering public funds for their pleasure,” Adriano added. “It is estimated that these trips to the United States have cost over $50,000 in taxpayer money allegations are extremely serious and OPA must ensure that there has been no improper use of public funds.”
MPLA commissioner Edward Deleon Guerrero said however that the trips made by MPLA board members and staff over the past two months were all for official purposes.
