Rep. Ralph Yumul, who chairs the Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding, presides overs a meeting in the House chamber.
THE Department of Commerce on Tuesday provided the House Special Committee on Federal Assistance & Disaster-Related Funding with records and other documents pertaining to the $17 million Building Optimism, Opportunities and Stability Together or BOOST program that then-Gov. Ralph DLG Torres implemented last year.
The committee’s chairman, Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, received the documents from acting Commerce Secretary Francisco D. Cabrera on the same day that the panel voted to subpoena Torres, former Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig, former Department of Commerce-Economic Development Director Jesus Taisague, former Office of the Governor Chief of Staff William Castro, and BOOST contractors, Robert Travilla, Salina Sapp and Shane Villanueva.
Cabrera also provided the committee a compact disc containing documents, records and communications obtained electronically from at least 28 BOOST recipients.
The list included highlighted names of businesses and their owners who received BOOST funding.
During the special committee meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Marissa Flores noted that Cabrera did not indicate what the highlights meant.
Cabrera declined to comment on Wednesday.
In his Title 1 Section 1309 letter to Cabrera, Yumul said the CNMI Constitution vested the committee subpoena powers. If the committee does not receive a response by the deadline, Cabrera would be subjected to subpoena, which legally compels him to appear and testify before the committee.
His failure to appear and testify “shall be cause for contempt under CNMI law and subject you to a jail term of up to one year and a fine of up to $1,000.”
Yumul said he has sent similar letters to other government agencies and private sector entities involved in the implementation of the BOOST program.
Bank of Saipan, he added, asked for an extension of the deadline to respond because its legal counsel is off-island and won’t be back until Nov. 3.
Yumul said his committee aims to “get a clear picture with regards to what we can look at. At this point, the chair believes that anyone that received federal funds have to open the books.”
