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Bill to improve OPA probes of public corruption, fraud passes House
Marissa Renee Flores
The House of Representatives unanimously passed Tuesday a legislation that seeks to improve the Office of the Public Auditor’s criminal investigations of fraud, waste, and abuse in the collection and expenditure of public funds.
All 17 House members present in yesterday’s session voted “yes” to pass House Bill 23-44, House Substitute 1. The bill now goes to the Senate for action.
Reps. Edwin K. Propst (D-Saipan), Diego Vincent F. Camacho (D-Saipan), and Julie Marie Atalig Ogo (Ind-Rota) were absent but excused from the session.
Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the House Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee, is the principal author of the bill.
Attorney General Edward Manibusan recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Office of the Public Auditor and the Department of Public Safety to establish a task force focused on investigating public corruption. Flores said House Bill 23-44 codifies this agreement and make sure it’s renewed every year.
“This bill is a strong step in the right direction for the Commonwealth. We need our strongest investigative agencies working together on a regular basis,” she said.
Edward Cabrera, chief investigator for the Investigative Division of OPA, disclosed the signing of the memorandum of understanding among OPA OGA, and DPS at the JGO Committee meeting last month, during which the legislation was among the bills discussed. The task force will focus on investigating white collar crimes, government corruption, consumer protection, and financial crimes.
Cabrera said their goal is to alleviate concerns about unbridled corruption by establishing this task force. He said, among other things, that the absence of accountability for government officials enables unethical and corrupt practices to persist.
