KOROR (Palau Horizon) – THE Senate and House Committees on Judiciary and Governmental Affairs warned anew Special Prosecutor Michael Copeland to provide the respective panel a written response to the allegations of incompetence hurled against him.
Earlier the OEK panels declined Copeland’s request for a public oversight hearing.
“We reassert that your written responses to our previous letter are now overdue. Given the seriousness of the allegations, it is imperative that you respond to that letter as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Failure to do so to the satisfaction of our Committees will result in further oversight and investigation of your actions as Special Prosecutor,” the letter said.
The committee assured the oversight actions “ will be performed in an open, honest and transparent way.”
The panels have earlier asked Copeland to explain a number of issues and allegations thrown against his office.
The respective committee chairs, Sen. Joel Toribiong and Del. Marhence Madrangchar in a letter to Copeland said there were numerous allegations against him ranging from overstepping the authority, professional ethics and competence.
The committees questioned the competence of Copeland in handling the court cases of Health Minister Stevenson Kuartei, Ombudsman Moses Uludong and Assistance Attorney General Ronald Ledgerwood.
Kuartei and Ledgerwood were both charged with DUI, prosecution of bothcases were handled by Copeland but ended with dismissals. Uludong’s forgery case was also dismissed.
The committees also noted that Copeland also undermined the country’s overall prosecution of the collapsed Pacific Savings Bank case that resulted in the acquittal of one of the former bank’s officials.
Copeland served as Independent Counsel at that time.
The Committee also questioned Copeland’s overstepping his authority on a number of different legal matters throughout Palau.
One of them, it cited, is that Copeland has allegedly tried to obstruct the transfer of the Independent Counsel responsibilities to the new independent counsel.
The committees also questioned Copeland’s action relating to the employees at Ashiibi Karaoke Bar.
The lawmakers said Copeland overstepped his bounds by getting involved in the case which is supposed to be out of his jurisdiction.
