Miura extradition set today

The Los Angeles Police Department’s detectives were expected to escort Kazuyoshi Miura to California by early morning today Friday, Saipan Tribune learned.

As this developed, the CNMI government, through the Department of Finance, is going to bill the California government for the expenses incurred by the Department of Corrections during Miura’s more than seven months’ detention.

Although the LAPD detectives and the CNMI government refused to release information as to the exact day when they will bring the 61-year-old Miura to California, many sources disclosed that the first leg of the journey—from Saipan to Guam—will be at 4:40am today.

The connecting Continental flight will be from Guam at 6:25am to Honolulu and then to L.A.

Many Japanese journalists who have been camping out at the Saipan airport since Sept. 29 when Miura withdrew his petition for habeas corpus in federal court will be joining the same flight. Other members of the Japanese media will accompany Miura only from Saipan to Guam.

Yesterday, Superior Court associate judge Ramona V. Mangloña granted the Attorney General’s Office motion to release Miura’s passport for his extradition.

Following the order, a Superior Court staff handed Miura’s passport to Attorney General’s Investigation Unit’s investigator Erwin Flores yesterday at 10:45am.

A source disclosed that DOC has been computing all its expenses with respect to Miura since his detention last Feb. 22. The expenses report will then be forwarded to Finance.

A DOC official told Saipan Tribune that Finance will submit the billings to LAPD.

The official, who requested anonymity, said it is very difficult to figure out how much the total expenses will add up to because prices on the island, including electricity, have considerably increased since Feb. 22.

Press secretary Charles Reyes Jr. confirmed to Saipan Tribune yesterday that Finance will be presenting DOC’s billings to LAPD.

“I think it’s consistent with the normal practice that other states are also doing with similar situations. It’s customary. It’s normal,” Reyes said.

He said he doesn’t know the amount yet as Finance is still gathering all the information.

Four LAPD detectives led by Rick Jackson arrived on Saipan Tuesday night to bring Miura to California where he is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder over the fatal shooting of his wife in 1981.

It was local authorities who arrested Miura at the Saipan airport last Feb. 22 for the murder case. The businessman had already been convicted in Japan in 1994 of the murder of his wife, Kazumi. The verdict, however, was overturned by Japan’s high courts 10 years ago.

LAPD said Miura hatched the plot to kill Kazumi to collect on her life insurance policies.