THE House Committee on Ways and Means will expand the scope of the investigation that it plans to conduct on the independent contracts that the government procured through sole-sourcing, Rep. Stanley T. Torres said yesterday.
“There are many worms in the can and the committee wants to make sure that all the worms will come out and nobody would get off the hook whether they are from the past or the present administration.
“Thus, it is imperative for the committee to expand the investigation on these contracts that would include all possible questionable services provided to the government by independent contractors,” said Torres, the committee chairman.
Torres, R-Saipan, said the committee is now conducting research on all the records of independent contracts secured through sole-sourcing. “I have requested concerned agencies to provide me with all the records. We are also reviewing previous reports made by the Office of the Public Auditor to determine if the recommendations it made was followed by the government to rectify problematic contracts,” he said.
Torres said the committee may include in its investigation the independent contracts of Public Auditor Michael S. Sablan and Cahn and Associates, Inc. which were procured during the previous administration.
He said that he was “disturbed” upon knowing that Sablan’s independent contract with the Tenorio administration was included in the 1999 report made by then Public Auditor Leo L. La Motte.
“Mr. Sablan’s contract was included in the OPA’s long list of problematic sole-source contracts. Perhaps it’s even more questionable and unethical than other present contracts. No wonder why I got a watered down report from him last week on the contracts of (Adam B.) Turner and (Charles D.) Jordan.
“Obviously, somebody has to watch the watchdog. Thus, the committee felt that he should also be included in the investigation and also Cahn and Associates whose contract was also determined by La Motte as inadequate,” he said.
The OPA, three years ago made a recommendation to the governor and the Attorney General’s Office to consider taking appropriate actions against those who illegally requested payments to companies without valid contracts.
Such actions included reprimand, suspension without pay, termination of employment, civil injunction, civil suit for damages or return of government money or criminal prosecution.
Torres earlier said that his committee will conduct an investigation on the independent contracts of Adam B. Turner and Charles D. Jordan who were hired by the executive branch as policy consultant and project manager for capital improvement projects. Torres found Turner and Jordan’s contracts in violation of certain provisions of the CNMI Procurement Regulations.
