Traditionally, Rep. Teresita A. Santos said, perjury is committed only when a false statement is sworn before the court.
Her House Bill 17-135, which she will introduce on Tuesday, will “criminalize false statements made to the executive branch.”
She said that in civil and criminal cases, witnesses are often called to testify. People understandably will slant testimony to protect their interest.
The court, she said, can only rely on perjury laws to obtain truthful testimony.
But Santos, Ind.-Rota, said many blatantly lie when they are not under oath.
H.B. 17-135, or the False Statement Act, will amend Article 6 CMC Chapter 3, Article 1 to impose three years imprisonment and a $3,000 fine or both, to whoever “in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the CNMI government knowingly and willfully falsifies, conceals, makes any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement or makes uses of false writing or document.”
Santos said in an interview that there are recent cases where false statements “wrongfully” put some people to jail, thus destroying their lives.
Her bill, she said, will punish those who lie to “misrepresent or weaken” the functions of the executive branch of the CNMI government.
