“It would be improper for me to comment on the possibility of a prosecution against former AG Beattie or anyone else for that matter. Under Palauan law, he is entitled to a presumption that he is innocent of any of the allegations raised against him at this point,” Copeland said in an email to Palau Horizon yesterday.
Copeland also clarified the issue pinpointing the Office of the Special Prosecutor as the source of the information for the disclosure of Beattie’s alleged wrongdoing.“A recent story that appeared in the other newspaper (not Palau Horizon) on this subject was brought to my attention. After consulting with my staff, I can only say that my office was not the source of the information in the story that alleged criminal misconduct against former AG Beattie,” Copeland said in his reply to Palau Horizon’s email yesterday.“We are not now, nor have we ever been, in possession of the photo that appeared on the newspaper’s cover (not Palau Horizon). I am not certain if we are the agency they were referring to when they implied that an investigation may be ongoing,” Copeland added.
