arianas %riety;~ Micronesia's Leading Newspaper Since 1972 'a1. evvs Smuggling ring£ s By Ferdie de la Torre Investigation Unit last month that formant said, were being paid by conducted by AGO officers last driven by the Customs officer and Variety News Staff certain Customs officers were al­ Mr. Park and Ms. Hwang and April 29, a Customs officer was a conversation ensued concern­ AUTHORITIES have busted a lowing cigarettes to enter the others to allow the smuggling of observed meeting with Hwang ing the importation of cigarettes group allegedly engaged in smug­ CNMI without being taxed. The more than 1,000 cartons of ciga­ a.k.a. Regina at the LG Market at without being taxed, court papers gling cigarettes possibly in con­ tax is supposedly $5 per carton. rettes per entry. 4:30p.m. said. nivance with some CNMI Cus­ The Customs officers, the in- During surveillance operations Hwang et1tered the vehicle AGO officers held another sur­ toms officers at the Saipan Inter- veillance last May I at the Saipan national Airport. · International Airport wherein Mr. After surveillance, operatives Cho was seen arriving on an from the Attorney General's Of­ 'Big time syndicate' reportedly Asiana flight at 2 a.m. with a load fice Investigation Unit arrested of 1,400 cartons of cigarettes. Chan Ho Park, 32; Hyun Chol had Customs men in its pocket Undercover investigators deter­ Cho, 39; KeumJaHwang,54and mined that a CNMI Customs of­ Moon Ho Kim, 58. By Haidee V. Eugenio lated story) emment employees," Mafnas ficer met with Mr. Park later and Seized from the four suspects Variety News Staff Joe Mafnas, acting Customs said. received $750 as payment for al­ were approximately J ,900cartons THE INVOLVEMENT of at director, told Variety that two The arrest of the four suspects lowing the entry of such contra­ of undeclared and untaxi!d ciga­ least two Customs officers in a Customs personnel have connived is believed to serve as a warning band, according to court docu­ rettes. big-time smuggling operation with a certain group of people for other groups or individuals ments. The four suspects were held for in the CNMI is now believed to involved in smuggling operations involved in smuggling opera­ The same informant also told importation of contraband and be the main reason why untaxed to sneak highly-taxable items into tions in the CNMI. AGO that last May 6, Mr. Kim bribery. Superior Court Associ'­ luxury items continue to flood the islands. "This serves as a warning to called the same Customs officer ate Judge Timothy Bellas set a the local market despite all-out He said this has made it hard for those people who are involved and made arrangements for Ms. $ I 0,000 cash bail for each defen­ efforts to curb the illegal activ­ the government to curb the illegal in this illegal activity; whether Hwang to enter the CNMI from dant. ity, a top official of the Customs activities for some time. they are working in the govern­ South Korea with 1,000 cartons As of press time, no Customs Services disclosed yesterday. "We have already identified the ment or private sector," Mafnas of cigarettes. officers were arrested or charged Four suspects were nabbed loophole as to how these ciga­ said. To avoid tax, the AGO declara­ in connection with the group's by authorities on Saturday as rettes and other items are coming Mafnas said the two Customs tion said, 'it was agreed that the smuggling activities. they tried to sneak boxes of ciga­ into the CNMI. There is a syndi­ personnel have been relieved Customs officer would be paid According to a declaration filed rettes and allegedly bribed said cated effort. There is internal from their job, although no ar- $400 for allowing the entry of by the AGO in Superior Court Customs personnel. (See re- involvement ... (with) two gov- Continued on page 23 untaxed cigarettes. yesterday, aninformanttipped the Continued on page 23 !"" n me • i.::.mr""'""'5=m&-™=r I Compact n~gotiations ! ~ set to start 1n October~ f1 HONOLULU,Hawai'i-The t'. ~ first round of negotiations on 1, l! !! the Compact of Free Associa- tion will formally begin in Oc­ tober, according to the US State Department. State Secretary Madeline Albright, meanwhile, has offi­ cially appointed Insular Affairs Director Allen Stayman as the special negotiator for the Com­ pacts. To be discussed at the nego­ Allen Stayman tiating table are the financial and program assistance provi- The Compact entered into sions of the Compact, which force in 1986 and governs rela- expire in 2001. tions between the U.S. and the The negotiation will be held two Pacific Island nations. between the representatives of An additional Compact ex- the federal government and ists between the U.S. and the First Lady Sophie Tenorio signs one of the 3,000 cards from Hallmark to remind parents on the importance :: Marshall Islands and the Feder- Republic of Palau, but its pro- of immunization for children. Also in photo are (from left) DPH Deputy Secretary Ned Arriola, DPH Immunization Program Coordinator Mariana Sablan and Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez. ;! ated States of Micronesia. Continued on page 23 .. Photo by Haldee V. Eugenio t~·--~,,,.·,-l.'r.:.·:z::..~··-~<:·r" ""'7.l-.. ---rn~-,.......J7·~-.i::..;···:.i·,tt· ···· .. ,-,-- ~--.'l:.~~ -·-··--._,.. •··· ... ~ ·::::~··· •- · ·•• ··.-~· .• _;; · ·:.. ·· · ... ·· --~~·-···· ·,· ,. ·;·-: .. • · . ·,,.· · __ ·· ..• _ ... ...:--::.. ~·-::=::: ...:,c~.:..., ::u::::.. .:. X:.'-- ·:."':. ·:·::--.:;. -:...·;.,.:·~---=··:-~ic.:.. .:· ::--.-..... ~:.p~-~ ...~ :: ·:..:1:--:-=.'X~....! ._:_·.1:~::::.~;7",. ..:.:;--::: ~::.c: ....~~~!:.:• T::l;.:1; __ '.':'.:::,-:.::..·:..::c-:.:...:~·--:.~~...:..c:::::-::."."::f:'~.~·::-:7 ... ":':".:-::: ::-· ··.:· ...-·:.•;,.-:-::·.... ::~-:.-.:-::--::.-- ,:.:....:.-·:::·:!!r.,':'-..···-~:.-:.-~.;~•·_;:.;:·~'.'.' :-··c.-:,_7.-:-::,.·· -..~2....-:-,,.... :t: Overstayers have 3 more weeks for amnesty program j By Jojo Dass Immigration (DOLi), Camacho interview. "They have three weeks from Camacho added. Variety News Staff said, has information on where- Camacho nevertheless said he today. Weare asking them to come Officials said the limited im­ OVERSTAYERShavethenext abouts of the illegals who have isexpectingmoreillegalstocome forward and be registered. Other­ munity program has been in­ three weeks to register under yet to avail of the program. out of hiding and avail of the wise, after June I, orby June 2 we strumental in pinpointing ar­ thegovernmtnt'samnestypro- "Weknowwheremostofthem program that will give them the will be going out there in full eas where the illegals are. gram or risk deportation, Task are. But because of the immunity opportunity to find employment force," said Camacho. However, Camacho said Force Limited Immunity Chief they are being given a chance to or be repatriated. ·· "Any illegal that we catch with­ those.who have signed up "may Jeffrey Camacho warned. come forward, to make them- The program, which started out any permit or entry permit give false addresses and we The Department of Labor and selves legal," said Camacho in an Jan. I, will expire on June I. will automatically be deported," Continued on page 23 ----~'F.C~;.ul,t..U:,!!.r.:m!i'~~u..m:uc.!!..Y~~.:!t;:ll':11;:.)~--:I:[.......... lt.'..:A..~~~~~~~-===.,_====,....-.,,,...,....,..,....,,.,.,,,....,,,,...,,,,,."""" ....... ''""""""""""""""'""""="""'"~""""=,u""""'wa:""""'="""""""'°"""'""""'""""""""-ro!./ 2-MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIEWS-WEDNESDAY- MAY 12, 1999 WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1999 - MARIANAS VARIETY NEWS AND VIE.'-V~-3 China deD1a11ds action Eugenio gets 10 years By Ferdie de la Torre By JOHN LEICESTER and B1itishembassies shouting slo­ midday TV news showed video­ 'There's so much talk about You did it by yourself. No one ment and testified against Eugenio court must consider the aggravat­ Variety News Staff BEIJING (AP) - State media gans. They were in small groups of tape of Clinton saying he had apolo­ passion and prejudice by a law­ did. You did it by yourself," in the case. ing nature of the offense as well reponed Tuesday for the first time several dozen, and the protest was gized to Chinese President Jiang SUPERIOR Court Presiding yer. Maybe he's right. But re­ Manibusan told the defendant A jury rendered last month a as the defendant's personality. American apologies for NATO's smaller than previous days. Police Zernin. Judge Edward Manibusanordered member Mr. Eugenio, he didn't before he announced the sentence verdict declaring Eugenio inno­ Manibusan mentioned that the bombing of the Chinese Embassy moved loose paving stones out of NATO Secretary-General Javier Francis A. Eugenio to spend 10 cause you to be here ... he didn't Monday afternoon. cent of the charge that he struck defendant was previously con­ in Yugoslavia, but China repeated sight to discourage rock-throwing. Solana also was shown apologiz­ years in jail in connection with want you to be here .. he didn't Manibusan said the jail term Cepeda with a crowbar during the victed for almost the same kind of its demand foran investigation and Television and newspapers re­ ing, and the report included a list of the burglary at Wendy's Restau­ start it. .. the government didn't shall run consecutively with burglary. case. punishment of those responsible. prnted U.S. President Bill Clinton's NATO governments that had ex­ rant in Garapan. start it. It was your own doing. Eugenio's suspended sentence in The jurors, however, found the "'In the previous case as I un­ Protesters marched past the U.S. expression of regret Monday. The pressed regret. a previous criminal conviction defendant guilty of burglary with derstand it, no one was injured. In which was revoked. injury arising from the same inci­ this case, a police officer. .. a per­ The judge also required the de­ dent. son entrusted with enforcing the fendant to pay restitution. Before Manibusan handed the laws of the Commonwealth went Eugenio and two other persons sentence, Eugenio cried and to work with an idea of making were charged with aggravated apologized to Officer Cepeda. sure that people are safe, the com­ Bill Clinton Javier Solana assault and battery, and burglary "I am very, very sorry.