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BREAKING NEWS: Fitial gets 1-year prison term
Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman imposed today, Wednesday, a one-year prison sentence on the 69-year-old former governor Benigno R. Fitial, who is convicted of misconduct in public office and conspiracy to commit theft of services.
“Such conduct cannot, should not, and will not be tolerated and the proverbial message must be sent that government officials who betray the public trust by violating the laws of the CNMI will in all likelihood go to jail,” Wiseman said.
The judge ordered Fitial to start serving the prison term at the Department of Corrections before or on July 6, 2015.
Fitial refused to comment to the media as he, accompanied by his wife, Josefina, emerged from the courtroom.
Fitial remained calm when he was handed the sentence at the hearing packed mostly with some prominent persons, businessmen, former government officials, family members, and friends who supported the former chief executive.
Fitial signed a plea agreement with the government and pleaded guilty to two offenses.
The offense of misconduct in public office refers to the time when Fitial had his masseuse—a female Chinese who was at that time a federal prisoner at the Department of Corrections—temporarily released so she could massage him at his house on Jan. 8, 2010.
The conspiracy to commit theft of services refers to Fitial’s role in former attorney general Edward T. Buckingham’s efforts to evade lawful service of process during his departure from the Commonwealth at the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport on Aug. 3 or 4, 2012.
Fitial served as House speaker of the 3rd, 12th, and 14th Legislatures. He is also a two-term governor. He resigned as governor on Feb. 20, 2013, days after the House of Representatives impeached him on charges of corruption, felony, and neglect of duty.
After he resigned, Fitial has been staying in the Philippines, where he is undergoing medical rehabilitation due to diabetes complication.
More details to follow.
