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Teno tosses Lang’s request to AGO
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Posted on Oct 19 1999
The Attorney General’s Office is expected to hand down today its final decision regarding the assistance sought by former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio for his legal battle against the $12.4 million penalty awarded to a taxpayers’ lawsuit more than two years ago.
“The AG will be providing him the administration’s position either (Monday or today),” Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio told reporters yesterday, without elaborating.
He assured, however, the media will be given a copy of the decision once it is forwarded to the former governor.
The report followed a meeting last Friday between the governor and his predecessor at the Office of the Governor in Capitol Hills attended by government lawyers.
In an interview over the weekend, the former governor claimed the current administration had declined his request due to differences over interpretation of existing law on public employee legal defense and indemnification.
He said this law is being used to deny him legal and financial support for a case that occurred while he was in office. The lawsuit, filed by Jeanne Rayphand on behalf of CNMI taxpayers, accused Froilan of misspending public funds in 1994.
In 1997, the Superior Court, through special Judge Benjamin J.F. Cruz of Guam’s judiciary, ruled that he was liable to pay $12.4 million — a decision that the former governor has appealed.
Froilan met with Teno to ask him to provide him legal assistance on the pending appeal which Cruz will hear next month, although court papers said a new attorney for the defense is expected to be decided on or before Oct. 22.
The AG’s decision, however, will determine whether the CNMI will have to pay his attorney’s fees or whether it should provide him a government lawyer for his appeal.
