“I would be helping more if I stay here and man the shop,” Fitial said. “Like I said, I still hope that the lt. governor get out of the problem that he has. But I also have full respect for the law. I will let the law take its course.”
Teresa Kim, the lt. governor’s legal counsel, said the CNMI Constitution allows the governor to appoint a lt. governor in case of a permanent absence and if the term left is less than a year.
Villagomez’s term, like Fitial’s, is expiring in Jan. 2010.
Villagomez, his sister Joaquina, and her husband, former Commerce Secretary James Santos, were charged for misusing federal funds and bribery.
They have pleaded not guilty.
Saipan residents interviewed by this reporter said they are eagerly awaiting the jury’s decision.
The Villagomez family is one of the most prominent clans in the Northern Marianas.
“There are more things to be uncovered at CUC and other government offices,” a resident said.
