Harley said this in a statement sent to the media regarding the dismissal of a case against four former officers of the defunct Pacific Savings Bank (PSB.
“The Rengiil matter is one of the cases initiated and charged by the Attorney General prior to my arrival which I subsequently inherited,” Harley said.Earlier Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong dismissed Criminal Case. No. 07-156 against Pacific Savings Bank (PSB) officers Deborah Rengiil, John Devivo, Margo Llecholch and Mack Timothy Taunton on Oct. 3.According to the two page order , the information against defendants Rengiil and Llecholch are dismissed with prejudice while the information against defendants Devivo and Taunton are dismissed without prejudice.Lawyer Mariano Carlos, counsel for Rengiil, explained that the case against Rengiil and Llecholch cannot be filed in court again because the case was dismissed with prejudice.Carlos said that the case was requested to be dismissed by the independent counsel.Harley said that in his independent review and also due to the pending settlement negotiations for amounts greater than the$60,000 in dispute, he decided to ask for the dismissal of the case.“The law allows counsel for the government discretion to dismiss criminal charges prior to the trial particularly when there are pending settlement negotiations,” Harley said.President Remengesau on Oct. 16, sent letters to the Olbiil Era Kelulau leaders calling for a meeting with Harley regarding the recent dismissal of cases.The president scheduled the meeting on Oct. 22 at 10:30 am at the President’s Office in Meyuns, Koror.“I believe it would be beneficial for leadership to meet with Harley to receive an update regarding the status of his investigation and prosecution of the cases related to the failure of PSB,” Remengesau said.The president also sought for a review of the case by the Attorney General’s Office.The president said the outcome of the case surprised him and he wants some answers.He said he was not briefed by Harley on the step he took by asking for the case’s dismissal.Information of the case showed that Rengiil was charged with seven counts each of cheating and embezzlement, two counts of forgery, 21 counts of money laundering and two counts of conspiracy; Taunton was charged with six counts each of cheating and embezzlement, one count each of forgery and conspiracy and 18 counts of money laundering; Llecholch and Devivo were both charged with two counts each of cheating, embezzlement, forgery and conspiracy and six counts each of money laundering.
