By Moneth G. Deposa
Variety News Staff

THE Office of the Public Auditor says some $6.4 million is potentially recoverable by the CNMI government.
The action of the Attorney General’s Office is needed for recovery of $2.7 million while the recovery of $3.7 million depends on other agencies’ actions, OPA said.
It added that as of June 30, 2006, recommendations in 13 audit reports had been referred to the AGO for legal action to recover monies improperly expended.
OPA said it requested on Sept. 26, 2006 an update of these referrals and it still waiting for a response from the AGO.
The referral recommendations to the AGO involving recovery of approximately $2.7 million included:
• $739,346 in overpayment to Tinian Casino Control Gaming Commission’s consultant and three other individuals;
• $392,178 in TCGCC travel transactions for fiscal years 1996-2001;
• $1,315,102 in overpayments of professional services contracts;
• $100,000 in the recovery of improper payments made to a contractor of the Department of Public Works;
• $75,000 in funds misused by the then-secretary of finance in fiscal years 1995-1997;
• $9,000 in improper payments made by the Rota Health Center director for repairs and non-existent lease extensions;
• $4,982 in funds taken by the Rota Health Center director from RHC funds;
• $40,131 in improper reimbursement to Commonwealth Ports Authority board members;
• $2,973 in travel overpayments and questionable payments of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. to its former board members;
• $2,200 in loan receivable made by the Washington Representative’s Office;
• $54,645 in improper payments of housing allowances by the Marianas Hawaii Liaison Office.
The $3.7 million that can be potentially recovered by the CNMI government includes unpaid rentals of land leases, uncollected labor processing fees, overpayments in professional services contracts and retirement benefits, and improper expenditures of public funds.
As of June 30, 2006, OPA said that initial actions by agencies resulted in the partial recovery of $950,289 leaving the balance of $3.7 million still recoverable. These include:
• $3.7 million in rentals from eight quarry operators for six lease years from 1990-1995;
• $512,410 in uncollected application fees of nonresident workers;
• $126,730 in improper payments to two former CPA officials for retirement benefits and compensatory time claimed;
• $110,690 in double payment of travel expenses and overpaid per diem allowances to the Marianas Public Lands Authority’s former board chairman and Tinian and Rota members from Sept 1992-Sept. 1994;
• $96,100 in overpayment of two professional services contracts signed by the CNMI government;
• $56,462 in funds misused by then then-finance secretary from 1995-1997;
• $15,079 in overpayment to four professional service contracts of the CNMI government; and
• $1,605 in overpayments of per diem from threeetravelers with the Attorney General’s Investigative Unit.