Hafa Adai!  I write this letter requesting your office to investigate allegations of a conflict of interest on the part of Mr. Antonio Camacho, a board member of the Commonwealth Ports Authority. 
Last week, I received an anonymous phone call from a concerned individual regarding my letter to Governor Fitial requesting that the Governor withdraw his nomination of Ms. Velma Palacios, who is presently an employee of Pacific Telecom, Inc. to the new Public Utilities Commission.  Public Law 15-35 provides that a commissioner shall not be an employee or consultant of an entity regulated by the PUC.  Thus, Ms. Palacios is not qualified to be a commissioner of the PUC so long as she remains an employee of PTI. 
Anyway, the caller further informed me that a certain member of the CPA board of directors, namely Mr. Antonio Camacho, has a conflict of interest because he owns Westpac Freight, a freight forwarding company in the CNMI.  CPA regulates the airports and seaports of the CNMI.  Moreover, the caller believes that Mr. Camacho has a conflict of interest with CPA because Mr. Camacho is a lessee of land owned by CPA.  Pursuant to 2 CMC § 2131, a CPA director shall not directly or indirectly benefit by reason of any sale, purchase, contract or transaction entered into by the authority.  Based on the foregoing reasons, I ask your office to immediately investigate these allegations and make any recommendations, if any, regarding your findings.  If these allegations are true, I plan to ask Mr. Antonio Camacho to resign as a board member for CPA on behalf of the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications.
As chairman of the PUTC Committee, I have assured the caller that I would look into this matter, as I am very concerned about such allegations.  It would not be fair and just to disqualify a nominee of a board or commission due to a conflict of interest, yet allow a member of another board or commission to continue acting in such a capacity despite the existence of a conflict of interest.  I applaud the caller for bringing this matter to my attention and hope that more citizens take the time to inform the proper authorities of such potential conflicts of interest in our government. 

REP. FANCISCO S. DELA CRUZ
Chairman, PUTC