THE Federal Bureau of Investigation has served a grand jury subpoena to Department of Public Lands Secretary Sixto K. Igisomar.
The FBI also met with House Floor Leader Ralph N. Yumul and asked him questions pertaining to the introduction and passage of Public Law 18-56, the statute that legalized casino gaming on Saipan in July 2014.
In an interview, Yumul said he was a member of the 18th House of Representatives, the legislative body that passed the casino legalization law. Yumul said he was among those who voted against the measure.
He said he could not provide more details about the questions asked by the FBI.
In a separate interview, Igisomar said an FBI agent served him on Aug. 15, 2022 a subpoena commanding him “to appear in this United States district court at the time, date, and place shown below, to testify before the court’s grand jury.”
He said the FBI also asked him questions pertaining to his duties and responsibilities when he was the secretary of the Department of Commerce, and a senator in the 19th and 20th Legislatures. As Commerce secretary, he also served as chairman of the Lottery Commission that granted an exclusive casino license to Best Sunshine International Ltd./Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd. in July 2014.
At that time Gov. Ralph DLG Torres was the Senate president.
Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig and Sen. Victor B. Hocog were also served a grand jury subpoena, Variety learned.
Joy Van Der Voort, FBI Honolulu public affairs/community outreach specialist, neither confirmed nor denied that they were conducting an investigation.
“As a general matter, allegations of criminal conduct are reviewed by the FBI for their merit, but such a review does not necessarily result in the opening of a full investigation,” Van Der Voort said.
Asked for comment, Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, an independent candidate for governor, said, “It appears that the federal investigation on Imperial Pacific International continues.”
He noted that “it’s been a while since the FBI raided IPI’s office, the office and the residence of the governor [in November 2019],” adding that the federal authorities “obviously have their own timetable on the matter.”
He said, “Questions should be answered clearly so the people of the Commonwealth will see what comes out of this investigation.”
For her part, Rep. Tina Sablan, the Democratic candidate for governor, said: “I encourage everyone who has received a subpoena or been asked for an interview to cooperate fully, and tell the whole truth. I also encourage anyone who has not been approached yet, but who may have information that would be helpful to investigators, to contact the FBI as soon as possible.”
She added, “Public corruption robs us all, and impairs our confidence in our leaders and our system of government. Bringing about an honest and trustworthy government requires the commitment of our whole community, and often the courage of enough people willing to do what’s right in order to hold accountable those who have abused their power and the public’s trust.”
A sign of the Federal Bureau of Investigation seen outside of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, D.C., March 12, 2019.
