CHIEF prosecutor Chester Hinds, in an official statement, said prosecutors have been assigned to the case of the governor’s executive assistant, Frances Dela Cruz, who was found in contempt of a legislative subpoena by a House committee.
“In accordance with the statute, 1 CMC § 1306, …the matter is being investigated,” Hinds added.
On Nov. 16, 2021, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez asked the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute Dela Cruz for contempt.
According to CNMI law, “A person guilty of contempt…shall upon conviction be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”
On Tuesday last week, Dela Cruz appeared before the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee, which is investigating the governor’s public expenditures.
Instead of responding to the questions of the committee members, Dela Cruz read a prepared statement explaining her objection to the subpoena.
Speaker Villagomez, in an interview Saturday, said: “Based on my last consultation with our legal counsel and the [House JGO] committee, it’s really in the AG’s hands now. I am only the certifying authority for the committee’s action and justification for holding the witness in contempt.”
‘Way out of bounds’
In a separate interview, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said the House JGO was “way out of bounds” when it held his executive assistant in contempt.
He reiterated that the committee should direct its questions to him and not to department or other executive branch employees.
He noted that the committee had voted to issue him a subpoena in August, but, as of Friday, had not served him a subpoena to testify before the panel.
Based on the House Rules of Procedure adopted by the 22nd Legislature, moreover, committees are required to submit a report to the House speaker within 60 days after a matter was referred to a committee, the governor said.
That time period has since lapsed and no report has been produced, he added.
He also denied that he or his wife, first lady Diann T. Torres, pressured or influenced the testimonies of executive branch personnel who have appeared before the committee.
“We are not that kind of people to pressure anyone. All of you guys know me. I don’t go around putting pressure on anyone to do this… That’s not how I was raised. That’s not how my wife was raised,” he said.
Torres reiterated that the committee is “dragging hardworking government employees” to its hearings.
He said the witnesses have all testified under oath, and yet some of the committee members make statements that contradict the sworn testimonies.
“I ask the JGO to respect these individuals and respect their answers… No one’s being pressured. I’ve never talked to anyone…that has testified… We have hardworking individuals. Respect them and believe their answers because…there’s no illegal action,” the governor said.
“Sure, they may disagree with some of the actions taken, but [were they] illegal? No, absolutely not,” he added.
