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Saipan U founder up for jury trial
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Posted on Aug 30 2004
The founder of the defunct Saipan University will soon face his accusers as the U.S. District Court begun its selection of jury members for his trial on fraud charges.
The court began yesterday its jury selection for the trial of Soon Kyung Park, who was arrested and placed under U.S. Marshals’ custody last year over alleged fraudulent acts in the recruitment and transportation of students from China.
Parks has pleaded not guilty to the charge of interstate and foreign transportation of persons in the execution of a scheme to defraud.
In the indictment filed with Saipan’s district court, Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Rice and Patrick Smith had sought the forfeiture of money amounting to not less than $500,000, which Park allegedly illegally obtained through the operation of the university.
Prosecutors identified Bank of Guam accounts under the name of SU and Tinian University, and an account with the Bank of Hawaii under the name of SU president Jesus I. Taisague.
Park allegedly collected at least $5,000 each from some 88 students recruited from the People’s Republic of China.
The defendant allegedly misrepresented the nature of courses offered by SU, the school’s facilities, and the students’ ability to obtain jobs while studying on Saipan.
Prosecutors said that Park promoted SU as “a splendid teaching building, beautiful hotel and scenery when in fact SU has no textbooks and has about 20 secondhand computers, of which only one works.”
Park, known to the Chinese students as “Piao Cun Jing,” allegedly claimed that SU offers more than 20 courses, enough to earn a bachelor’s degree.
His arrest came following a complaint from the students who initially objected to their poor living conditions and lack of income.
Park is represented by lawyers Joseph Arriola and former associate justice Pedro Atalig.
The SU case was previously handled by former attorney general Robert Torres.
