Cabrera trial begins today

The fate of former Finance Secretary Antonio R. Cabrera rests on seven women and five men who were selected yesterday during a day-long court proceeding to serve as jury in his trial on corruption charges.

About 48 people were summoned by the U.S. District Court for the jury selection, eventually coming up with the 12 jurors and two alternates to the satisfaction of the defense and the prosecution.

One of those summoned was a namesake, Antonio Cabrera, who admitted being a second cousin to the defendant. The prosecution rejected him as a juror — a decision upheld by Judge Alex R. Munson since court rules prohibit jurors with relations to either party of up to third degree.

The 40-year-old ex-Cabinet official, who is being represented by lawyer Joey Arriola in the high-profile case, is accused of embezzlement and bribery by the federal government.

The trial begins today at 9:00 a.m. with opening arguments to be presented by Assistant District Attorney Kevin Seely for the prosecution and Mr. Arriola.

Mr. Cabrera pled not guilty to the five counts when he was indicted in July and is currently free on bail after posting a $50,000 cash bond.

The finance chief for two years during former Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio’s administration, he was charged with embezzling, stealing or obtaining by fraud over $56,000 from programs receiving federal funds while in office.

He was also alleged to have accepted at least $6,000 as bribe money from Candido Castro, owner and operator of land surveying firm Castro and Associates, in exchange for a CNMI government transaction involving $30,621.25 in public funds, according to court documents.

The charges — three counts of theft and two counts of bribery — in the federal court came barely six months after the CNMI government filed a civil case in the local court against Mr. Cabrera for allegedly misusing and misappropriating public funds amounting to $74,307.59.

The lawsuit, still pending with the Superior Court, charged him with passing on his personal expenses, including luxury items and even donuts, to the government based on the investigation by the Office of Public Auditor.

Mr. Cabrera was secretary of the Department of Finance from June 1995 up until his resignation in August 1997 due to reported falling out with then-Gov. Tenorio. He received a salary of $54,000 a year during his tenure in office.

The indictment did not provide details of his case in the federal court, but sources have said it is connected with the pending litigation in the Superior Court.