Castro denies misuse of govt car

Corrections Director Gregory Castro has denied misusing a government vehicle, saying he was doing official business at the Marianas Country Club last week when he was issued a citation for misuse of a government vehicle.

“I did not do anything wrong. I was just doing my job,” Castro said, adding that the incident happened during work hours.

Castro admits that he played golf with his brother but he said they also discussed the possibility to having the Kagman Community Health Center as an alternative healthcare provider for inmates.

Castro said that most successful businessmen do great business at golf courses.

The Office of the Public Auditor allegedly caught Castro using a Corrections vehicle to go to the Marianas Country Club last week, Wednesday, in the morning and play golf. He was given a citation ticket.

Sources said OPA impounded the unmarked vehicle and cited Castro for misuse of a government vehicle. OPA allegedly conducted the surveillance after the 58-year-old Castro was seen using the DOC car assigned to him whenever he played golf at the same golf course.

According to court documents, it was police detective Pete Aldan, now assigned at OPA, who issued the citation at 10:11am at the Marianas Country Club golf course. The vehicle is a Nissan Xtera with license plate ACR-284.

In an interview yesterday, the director admitted that he played golf with his brother, Vince Castro, who is the chief executive officer of Kagman Community Health Center, last week, Wednesday, in the morning.

Castro said he and his brother talked about having the Kagman Community Health Center as an alternative healthcare provider because of the situation of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.

He noted that CHCC is the primary healthcare provider for inmates, but the hospital is struggling due to financial constraints and effects of the CW-1 crisis.

Castro said he recently met with CHCC executive director Esther Muña, who informed him about CHCC’s struggles that would eventually affect the quality healthcare it provides inmates.

He said that was why he met with his brother at the golf course.

Castro pointed out that when he was issued the citation, nobody asked him about his purpose at the golf course.

Castro also questioned OPA’s authority to issue traffic tickets since their investigator was using unmarked cars and was in plain clothes.

“I was erroneously cited,” he said.

He noted that NMI Administrative Code Title 57 states that the correctional officers are also sworn officers and have all of the authority of police officers to enforce the law.

Castro said how could he be wrong when he was “working on a mission” that was authorized by acting DOC commissioner Lino Tenorio

The director said he is hoping that the Office of the Attorney General and OPA see that he was at the golf resort legitimately so it will save the government resources in prosecuting the case.

“I was working. And I am happy to report that Kagman Health Center is ready to assist DOC because of that meeting,” he stressed.

Instead of bringing inmates for medical services to CHC’s emergency room, they will be taken to Kagman Health Center.

He said CHC will able to tend more to the public, thereby reducing traffic at the hospital’s emergency section.

He said Kagman Health Center has doctors that can see inmates for regular checkups.