“There was no wrongful or self-serving prosecution against Mr. [Katsuo] Kamiishi, nor do I have a personal relationship with any of his employees. My office simply assisted some individuals in filing a claim with the Division of Labor after they contacted us when they didn’t know where else to turn for help,” Copeland said in a media statement.
Kamiishi, owner of Ashibi Bar and Restaurant in Meyuns, wrote a letter to the Attorney General’s Office and the Senate, saying he was wrongfully prosecuted.
Kamiishi said Copeland threatened to arrest him, which forced him to close down his business.
Copeland, he added, “got intimate” with one of the karaoke workers.
Copeland later brought three of the workers to the Division of Labor, Kamiishi said.
He was then summoned by the Division of Labor and was ordered to pay back the salaries of the employees or his business would be closed.
Kamiishi accused Copeland of targeting his karaoke bar only.
According to Kamiishi, he has been doing business in Palau for 21 years and he is struggling too just like the other restaurants and karaokes due to the bad economy.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor is not the ‘Karaoke Police,’ ” Copeland said. “However, we are human beings, and when a group of vulnerable people reached out to us for help we responded in both a lawful and appropriate manner.”
He added, “We would like to congratulate the Division of Labor for successfully ensuring that the safety and rights of these employees were protected.”
