Clarification

The Malites seem to have misunderstood my recent letters to the editor regarding their land compensation settlement, and so I will attempt to clarify my views, and set the record straight.

First, there has been no sudden change of heart on my part. I meant what I said in my April 12 letter. I still think the settlement negotiations between the Malite estate and MPLA were conducted in a grossly unethical—yes, corrupt—way. I still think $3.45 million (over 10 percent of the entire land compensation fund) is a ludicrous amount to pay for that parcel of land. I still think the Attorney General’s Office did the right thing in blocking that payment. And I still think Juan Demapan’s lawsuit against Pam Brown is a terrible waste of time and public resources.

Contrary to what the Malites have suggested, I did not write my April 19 letter to say that I have changed my mind about the whole thing. I haven’t changed my mind at all. Rather, I was simply acknowledging the Malites’ right to pursue compensation; in fact, their right to do so was never an issue for me. The Malites probably were cheated by the Trust Territory government—a lot of people were. They probably do deserve compensation.

My primary concern was and always has been that the settlement negotiations be conducted ethically, and that the settlement itself be fair. I don’t doubt that the Malites’ lawyers and the MPLA board carry much of the blame for handling this case so badly. But by now the Malites should know that going along with unscrupulous lawyers and benefiting from corrupt deals and wasteful, vindictive lawsuits not only damages their reputation, but also passes onto them some measure of responsibility. Perhaps they should consider finding a lawyer who would represent them more respectably.

The Malites are absolutely right about one thing, though: justice will not be served simply by my letters to the editor. My letters will not magically make honest and upright citizens of the MPLA board, the Malites’ lawyers, and Juan Demapan. Nor will my letters give the Malites the fair and reasonable settlement they deserve. Unfortunately, justice does take a lot more work than a letter to the editor. Although I can’t say I ever seriously expected a public apology from anyone for wasting taxpayers money—not from the Malites or their lawyers, not from Juan Demapan, and certainly not from the MPLA board—I still think there is plenty to be sorry about.

I only hope now for a resolution that will be fair to both the Malites and the community. On that point, I think the Malites and I would probably agree.

Tina Sablan
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