Rep. Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, said the fact that 10 prosecutors have left the AG’s Office since Sept. 2009 raises questions on how that office is being managed.
“First of all that’s very unusual. There’s so many who have left. It’s very difficult to hire prosecutors, let alone retain them,” Basa told the Variety.
“I’d like to know why it happened and how we can resolve this issue,” he added.
Only three prosecutors remain at the criminal division — Chief Prosecutor Rosemond B. Santos, Assistant Attorneys General Brian Gallagher and William Downer.
Dozens of criminal cases are filed each day in the local trial court.
Basa said the three remaining prosecutors will be overwhelmed with their work load and the victims will also suffer because their cases will not be given proper attention given the manpower shortage at the AGO.
He said the burden will also be passed on to the victims.
“They certainly need legal assistance and representation and they want their cases to be resolved. (But with only three prosecutors), that’s going to delay the resolution of cases,” he added.
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