Labor chief cited for alleged misuse of govt vehicle

A police officer has issued a traffic citation against Labor Secretary Edith Deleon Guerrero for misuse of government vehicle.

When asked about it yesterday, Deleon Guerrero said she pleaded not guilty to the charges as it’s a rental car and obviously not government property.

“It is ridiculous,” Deleon Guerrero said, referring to the traffic charges.

According to court documents, officer Jesus Santos issued the traffic citation last Oct. 16 for alleged violations of 1 CMC 7406(e)(f)(g)(1). This refers to restriction on use of government vehicles. The sections refer to tinting prohibition, marking of government vehicles, and government license plates.

According to the statute, “no person shall operate or use a government vehicle that has any tinting materials on its windows.” The exemptions are law enforcement vehicles and vehicles used, owned, leased, or assigned to the governor, lieutenant governor, and other elected officials.

On marking of government vehicles, the statute says that “all government vehicles or government leased vehicles, excepting only unmarked law enforcement vehicles and cars driven by elected officials or judges, shall be clearly marked as such on both front doors, or, in the case of water craft, on both sides of the hull well above the waterline.”

The chief of Procurement and Supply shall provide for the marking, and may also assign registration numbers.

On license plates, the statute says that only government license plates may be issued to government vehicles, and within one year of April 22, 1995, all government cars must bear government license plates, excepting only government cars that are leased for less than 60 days.

A government license plate is one that clearly says “Government” or Gov’t,” and that can easily be distinguished from an ordinary license plate.

Each three charges is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or three days of imprisonment, according to the law.

According to court documents, Santos issued the traffic citation against Deleon Guerrero last Oct. 16 at 3:39pm in the parking lot of the Happiness Chinese Restaurant in western Garapan.

Deleon Guerrero was the driver of a red five-door Toyota car with license plate ACU-788. The car is registered to Marfega Trading Co. Inc.

At the arraignment last Nov. 3 before Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert C. Naraja, Deleon Guerrero appeared without a lawyer and pleaded not guilty.

Naraja found Deleon Guerrero not eligible for court-appointed counsel.

Naraja set a status conference for Jan. 26, 2017 at 1:30pm before Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho.

Assistant attorney general J. Robert Glass Jr. appeared for the government at the hearing.