The 65-year-old governor said his decision to commute the sentence of the three was also based on the recommendation of the Board of Parole.
“I made sure that those people that I commute, they have already shown remorse and they have decided to come back to Jesus (Christ),” he told reporters in an interview on Saturday afternoon.
One of those three prisoners was David Tanaka Diaz who was sentenced to serve 25 years in jail for “ice” trafficking without the possibility of parole.
Last March 12, the Board of Parole granted him parole citing as basis the governor’s Feb. 4, 2010 commutation of sentence.
But during the interview, Fitial said he does not recall commuting Diaz’s sentence.
“I didn’t pardon him. No way. You better check your records because I did not. Show me. Don’t put words into my mouth. Show me the document. I did not commute anybody named Tanaka,” he told reporters.
“I don’t recall that name. I will not commute, especially him, if he’s not rehabilitated,” he added.
Last May 24, Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos, in his capacity as acting governor, commuted the remainder of the nine-month, or 270-day, jail sentence of Velma Jean Aldan Arriola, a former Revenue and Taxation employee who was charged with forgery, misuse of credit card, identity theft, theft by unlawful taking, and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received.
In 2006, Fitial commuted the sentence of Steven Romei Aguon who was previously convicted for burglary, voluntary manslaughter and escaping from police custody.
Last March, Aguon was arrested for the sexual abuse of two minors.
