The Marshall Islands Attorney General’s Office took anti-corruption action to a new level Friday when it charged Minister of Transportation and Communications Kenneth Kedi with 10 criminal counts in the High Court.
Kedi, the youngest member of the Marshall Islands parliament, has been charged with two counts each of grand larceny, cheating, and use of his office for private financial gain, three counts of misconduct in public office and one count of petit larceny. The charges state that he illegally obtained over $2,200 in government money.
Government fisheries department attorney Tion Nabau was named by Attorney General Frederick Canavor Jr. as a special assistant attorney general to file the charges. Nabau alleges that Kedi, who represents Rongelap Atoll in the parliament, had the Rongelap Atoll Local Government pay for office furniture for him, then submitted the same billing to the national parliament and was reimbursed by the national government for the $1,197.82 cost of the furniture.
In another incident, he is alleged to have taken a check made out to the Rongelap Atoll Local Government from Air Marshall Islands for unused airline tickets that totaled $1,037.20 and cashed it.
National Police Detective Randall McKay said his investigation into the furniture fraud showed that after the Rongelap Atoll Local Government and the Ministry of Finance discovered Kedi had obtained the furniture reimbursement of $1,197.82 to which he was not entitled, Finance Minister Jack Ading told Kedi to repay the money to the national government.
McKay said the Finance Minister in a letter told Kedi his action was illegal and advised him to pay the funds back to the ministry.
Rongelap Atoll Local Government officials said Kedi had no authority to take the airline refund check.
Kedi declined immediate comment, saying he had not been officially served with the court papers. On May 18, national police investigators interviewed Kedi with his attorney Witten Philippo and Kedi “exercised his right to remain silent,” McKay said.
