SHIRLYN Laniyo of the CNMI Parole Office testified in the bench trial of Chief Parole Officer Nick Masga Reyes on Tuesday.
Reyes is accused of forging a government employment contract.
According to Laniyo, she has worked for the parole office for eight years, four years of which as an administrative assistant. She said she routed documentations including requests for personnel at the instruction of the board of parole or Chief Reyes.
The prosecution showed her about 30 pages of documentation relating to a request for personnel action and a memorandum of continued employment for Reyes.
Laniyo said she saw the documents on the administrative table of the parole office.
She said she remembers most of the documents as she routed them to the appropriate agencies or authorities for approval.
At 5:30 p.m., Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho told the parties that he would continue Laniyo’s testimony today, Wednesday, at 9 a.m.
On Monday, the court allowed the defense attorneys to review the documents submitted by the prosecution as evidence.
Reyes, represented by attorneys Joaquin Torres and Mathew Holley, objected to the late submission of evidence, saying that it should have been provided to the defense during discovery.
On Tuesday, the defense again objected to the prosecution’s introduction of new evidence, but the court allowed it to be submitted.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Parole Board member Lucinda Selepeo have already testified.
Parole Board member Christopher Leon Guerrero, former board member Anthony Macaranas, who is now the acting Department of Public Safety commissioner, Special Assistant for Administration Oscar M. Babauta, and other government officials are also expected to testify in the trial.
The Office of the Attorney General has charged Reyes with one count of misconduct in public office and four counts of forgery.
According to the OAG, Reyes forged a request for personnel action by changing the term of employment from 30 days to one year.
Reyes “completed, executed, authenticated, issued or transferred a writing that purported to be the act of another, to wit the Governor of the Commonwealth, who did not authorize the act,” the OAG stated.
In his opening statement, attorney Torres said: “It is the government’s burden to prove that my client forged documents to extend his contract as parole chief and defraud the CNMI government.”
According to Torres, not one government witness will be able to say that Reyes was responsible for any alteration or changes made to the documents presented in court.
The prosecutors are Assistant Attorneys General James Kingman, Lucia Blanco-Maratita and David Karch.
