MARVIN Rodney Pangelinan, and Jijing Borja appeared before Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja at an arraignment on Monday morning and pled not guilty to bribery.
The Office of the Attorney General on March 28, 2023 filed an information in Superior Court charging Pangelinan and Borja with one count of bribery each.
According to the information, Borja paid Pangelinan, an employee of the CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, $100 “so that [Borja] could run his business at the Grotto without proper documentation as required under CNMI law, in violation of 6 CMC § 3201, and made punishable by 6 CMC § 3201.”
“On or about Feb. 12, 2023, on Saipan…Marvin Rodney Pangelinan unlawfully gave or received something of value in wrongful and corrupt payment for an official act done or not done, to be done or not to be done,” the information stated.
The alleged transaction between Borja and Pangelinan was video recorded by Borja.
Pangelinan has denied the allegation while Borja told Variety that it was just a “prank” to teach Pangelinan a lesson because he liked to borrow money from tourist guides.
Pangelinan at the hearing was represented by attorney Richard Miller while Borja was represented by Assistant Public Defender Travis Scott.
Assistant Attorney General Steve Kessel appeared for the government.
Judge Naraja scheduled a status conference for May 18, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. before Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo.
