Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, who chairs the House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding, speaks during a meeting on Thursday in the House chamber.
THE Legislative Bureau’s sergeant-at-arms, Pete Towai, will deliver a subpoena duces tecum today, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, to former Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, former Department of Commerce-Economic Development Director Jesus Taisague, and Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together contractors Robert Travilla, Salina Sapp and Shane Villanueva.
Former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres will be served a subpoena “in the near future.”
House Floor Leader Edwin Propst, vice chairman of the House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding, said those subpoenaed will have 10 days to submit documents pertaining to the $17 million federally funded BOOST program.
The committee chairman, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, said so far, they have already received BOOST documents from the Department of Finance, the Zoning Office, the Department of Commerce and the Business License Office.
He said the committee also received documents from Bank of Saipan, which administered BOOST, but many of the items were redacted.
However, the bank agreed to allow committee members to view the redacted information, Yumul said, adding that they cannot make copies or take photos of the redacted information.
He said the bank “invoked confidentiality because they don’t want to be dragged into a lawsuit.”
“I honestly don’t believe those have to be redacted. Those are public information,” Yumul said, adding that other than Social Security numbers, nothing else should be confidential in a BOOST application package.
Yumul also noted that the BOOST documents of the recipients did not include a business plan.
He said applicants were supposed to include a business plan in their application package to indicate how they were going to spend the BOOST funds.
“We haven’t seen any of those,” Yumul said.
So far, he added, the Department of Commerce has provided BOOST documents, records and communications pertaining to the following recipients: Kamakazee’s Restaurant, which was awarded $50,000; Peps International, LLC, $200,000; MJD Corporation Tres Maria’s Market, $100,000; REM International Corp., $100,000; Cory’s Garden, $50,000; D&D Fish Market, $125,000; S.U.I. Corporation, $10,000; Pacific Funeral Services, $50,000; Rowina T. Ogo Tavajah Escapes, $50,000; Saipan Horse Course, $200,000; Terry’s Snack Bar, $200,000; Saipan Goddess, $125,000; Salina’s Saipan, $50,000; Resources Management International, $200,000; Santos Acres Ocean View, $150,000; Ramon M. Dela Cruz DC Coral, $120,000; Sakura Group, LLC, $150,000; One Marianas Initiative, $100,000; and Buddies Trendz, $50,000.
Yumul said BOOST recipients whose documents are missing from the Department of Commerce files include Amore Corporation/Pepoy’s Café & Restaurant, which received $50,000; Dong A. Corporation, $150,000; Helios Engineering Group, $200,000; MJD Corp./Jacob’s Laundry, $100,000; Armatech Corporation, $150,000; Lovebirds Restaurant, $125,000; Abelina T. Mendiola, DFS Enterprises, $20,000; Napu Brewing Co., $100,000; and Arvin C. Ogo Homeland Enterprises, $50,000.
