Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

j m UN'lV£R#Y OF HAWAII LIBRARY j m £ £ M a n a n a s cV a rie ty% i Micronesia's Leading» ÏJ NewspaperM____________ O»Since___ « 1972(ITA ^ / X l V l i VoL 20 No.26 Saipan, MP 909SO €>1991 Marianas Variety JUNE 1 4 , 1 9 9 1 Serving C N M i for 19 Years "Conflict of interest" charge bugs CDA by Rafael H. Arroyo handed approach in the granting resort to accusations of different quency rate is now 3% as com business or two.” Commonwealth Development of loans to all our clients, regard kinds.” pared with last year’s 4%. We “We can’t deny them the ser Authority Chairman John less of who they may be. Our “It is really a tough job espe have an annual surplus of around vices of CDA just because they Tenorio recently expressed dis records are always open for cially when what you’re dealing $1.5 million. That is mainly be are in government. Approving pleasure over the manner some public scrutiny, and they can al with is taxpayers’ money. We’re cause of sound management and their loans doesn’t necessarily people have been casting doubts ways go to us and see if there is just doing our job, trying to com because we’ve been very strict mean that there was political on the integrity of the agency in any hanky-panky going on,” as ply with the public law. We’re with funds,” he continued. pressure on us,” he said. the approval and granting of serts Tenorio. here to watch their money, and “Weare often accused of con “It’s just that we have to be loans to local businessmen. According to the CDA boss, we’re very careful in taking care flict of interests. But what’s true consistent with everybody, re He was reacting to claims that insinuations of irregularities have of their money,” Tenorio said. is that everybody is qualified to gardless of who he is,” Tenorio some loans may have been ineq been common fare for agencies He.pointed out that there was a borrow money from us, even the maintained. uitably drawn from CDA’s loan dealing with government funds tremendous increase in the governor, provided he goes A question that reached the fund unmindful of the “conflict and that the CDA, despite its CDA’s portfolio since it took through the proper procedures,” CDA Board Chairman was the of interest” rule commonly ob adherence to transparency, has over from the Economic Devel he claimed. case of a certain Frances Sablan, served by the loan granting become no exception. opment Loan Fund. “As you know we are a small a local businesswoman who was agency. “The problem here at CDA is “Our portfolio increased by island and most of our people, allegedly granted a big loan by “We are very transparent about that if we approve loans people over $9 million, and our delin even those in government own a Continued on page 59 everything here at the CDA. We are happy, and if we deny loans have always maintained a high they get sad and that’s when they G ov't, w orkers hold m assive dem onstration by R.B. Concepcion legislature’s building. Both House conference com The employees conglomera mittee on the proposed pay-raise tion kicked-off in a “pep rally” bill continue to meet until held Tuesday afternoon at the Thursday night at the MPLC’s Public Works Beach, in which building on Tinian and have re they engaged themselves in ported “substantial progress”, in poster and sign making activities. an attempt to arrive at a com That event was also to prepare promise. for the actual demonstration and Meanwhile, the ‘Public Ser sho of force the next day by the vants Compensation Committee’ group that they really are serious remains waiting for the bill’s in their call to pass the Salary Act. passage the whole day since Government employees converged at the Public Works Beach Tdesday afternoon to attend a "PEP Early this week, compensation Wednesday in what was termed rally" in support of the House version of the pay raise bill. as a “get-together” in front of the Continued on page 44 CNMI warned: Beware of C ustom s C hief Nigerian money scam prom oted to by Rafael H. Arroyo readers to share in the sender’s nothing is really enticing. Assistant US Attorney Ri ill-gotten wealth by simply “These guys would say L t. C olonel chard Pierce recently flashed sending in their bank account that they got lots of money in out a warning to CNMI resi numbers, bank addresses, inter Nigeria and would be will by Teri M. Flores; Guerrero lauded Reyes and his dents about the possible exist national routing numbers, and ing to give out a few thou Customs Chief Pete Reyes staff for their excellence, com ence of a solicitation letter signed copies of business statio sands to unsuspecting busi headed the list of eight Customs mitment and dedication in the racket ring reportedly out to nery. nessmen,” he said. officials who were commis performance of their duties. victimize businessmen by Prospective victims are then Amoy also pointed out that sioned to the next higher rank in Finance Director Eloy Inos gaining access to their bank made to believe that some of the a list of the more prominent recognition of their meritorious also offered the conferees a word accounts. ill-gotten wealth will find their businessmen in both the service as public servants. of advice and encouragement for A letter put out by Pierce way into their bank accounts. CNMI and Guam may have In a special commissioning the Customs staff to continue last Tuesday, indicated that at Pierce said that this “get-rich- fallen into thehands of these ceremony attended by law-en enforcing the Commonwealth’s least one report each in Guam quick” scheme may usually end unscrupulous people, and forcement agency heads and Customs statutes. and in the CNMi have been up with businessmen discover that a warning may have to Gov, Larry I. Deleon Guerrero, Former Major and now, received by his office both ing largedcbits in their accounts. be in order to preven t people Reyes and seven others were Lt.Col., Reyes has been con with the same modusoperandi. Agents from the Federal Bu being victimized by them. recognized for their effort in nected with the Division of Cus Pierce in an interview said reau of Investigation (FBI), who “We just like to issue a operating and maintaining the toms Services since its inception that Jte was not sure if those were tasked to conduct a check warning to all residents to Customs division. in 1982. As the only Chief the involved was a syndicate or on the matter confirmed the ex refrain from dealing with The conferees were also rec agency had known since it was an individual operating all by istence of such a mail scam. these people since you may ognized for their efficient drug first created, Reyes has seen the himself. “All I’ve received are Calling them “solicitation let not have anyone to cry to if enforcement effort which has led growth of the Customs division sketchy reports.” ters”, Special Agent Paul Amoy you go on intending to de to the arrest and conviction of from the original four staffers to According to Pierce, the said would-be victims could be fraud someone with this suspected smugglers and drug a total of 29 staff today. scam involves letters suppos gypped out of greed, since the scheme,” Amoy maintained. dealers. Reyes also started the Divi edly from Nigeria, asking thought of making money out of Continued on page 43 In his speech during the cer sion which was generating an emony held at Charlie’s Cabaret excess of $300,000 during the of the Pacific Islands Club, G ov,, Continued on page 43 9 c u 2 - 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-FRIDAY-JUNE 141991 FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1991-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-3 A Meeting Place For Our CNMI Public Defender Ngirakaiau resigns Opinions. And Yours. by R. B. Concepcion hired him, he came from Hawaii put the brief for the appeal be He cited that they need a higher required to maintain some kind Commonwealth Public De working as a public defendant fore I leave.” budget, “because this is the only of credit or continuity of educa fender Oldias Ngirakaiau re for that state. He mentioned thateventhough place for people without money tion. cently tendered his resignation According to the public de he is already staying in Palau or to have access to the court...” According to him, if these to CNMI Governor Larry I. fender, he has many ties and Hawaii, he can always be con Due to their low budget, people lawyers don’t maintain such Guerrero effective July 12, and friends back in Hawaii. tacted if help is needed on the who come to their office can not credits, they lose their license to Jr’s Agenda enter into another venture, this Oldias said that he might first case. be given assistance to the best of practice law, hinting that same by John DelRosario. Jr. time-private practice. spendacouple of weeks inPalau, When asked to give any sug-. their ability. should be done in the CNMI. “It is just that I have been here then go to Hawaii for a while gestión on how the office can Oldias mentioned that fund He said that to really improve for more than four years now and “see if things will work out.” still be improved, the public de ing problem ties with another their office is to extend it to The uproar being drummed up by the tug of war currently I have struggled long and hard Saipan have found your attitude to build up to a point of no and I am ready to move on...”, “If there is something good fender pointed out four basic to avoid giving prominence to so intolerable as to warrant the return.

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