Where’s the advertisement, the awarding, and the actual contracts?

According to the Marianas Variety on May 8, 2014, The (Lottery) Commission yesterday also approved the hiring of the companies that responded to separate requests for proposals for casino resort development consultant and law enforcement review investigator. It hired California-based B2G Global Strategies to assist the commission in investigating the background of the applicant, and the Florida-based Innovation Group to review the applicant’s business and development plans and strategies.

B2G is an international consulting firm specializing in a wide range of services including private investigations, background screening, security consulting, policy guidance and strategic solutions for the business sector and government entities in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia. The Innovation Group is the premier provider of consulting and management services for the gaming, hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries.

Igisomar said they approached the Federal Bureau of Investigation which informed them which organizations could do the specific tasks.

“We did our due diligence on this. First, we had our DPS commissioner and the counsel work with the FBI and get their references and learn the best way to go about this,” he said.

The companies, he said, “are legitimate in the sense that they can accomplish what we are looking for. We picked the right individuals.”

I was at the presentation on Monday that these two companies made. Right down the line, Best Sunshine. I asked B2G if they investigated the financials of the parent companies, and could I get a copy of the results and Mr. Gomez said “no.” I asked Mr. Soll from The Innovation Group if they actually visited the banks and verified that the signature and letter promising financing for the two applicants were authentic. He said “no” also. So, we spent $400,000 with these two experts and they didn’t even verify the most important item in any business venture—money. They apparently are satisfied that Best Sunshine was supposed to win so why do all that extra work. As expected, Best Sunshine came in first by a huge margin.

I asked around, I looked all around, over and under the Web, I went to the Attorney General’s Office’s website and found the last entry was 1.5 years ago and it doesn’t even have a phone number to call, but nowhere can I find the original announcement, a list of responders, minutes to choose the best candidate, or an actual copy of the contracts for these two investigators.

This administration, and all administrations that were here before, just love secrecy and you, yes you, the voting majority, just keep letting them keep you in the dark. Good citizens of the CNMI, wake up! To all you little “Stalins” out there, this is the CNMI, not Russia in the 1930s and to all you that want me to shut up, well, sorry, I have a grandson and a granddaughter that are NMDs, so it ain’t gonna happen. All concerned citizens should should participate in your government.

Gary DuBrall
Chalan Piao, Saipan