Frances Quichocho fails to complete testimony

Attorney Colin Thompson’s cross-examination of Frances Quichocho resumed Friday in federal court but lasted less than two hours as Frances asked to be excused again, saying she’s not feeling well.
As this developed, Annie Rose Zandueta, a former employee of Frances and her husband, attorney Ramon Quichocho, testified Friday afternoon that Jung Ja Kim, who is suing the Quichochos for racketeering, told her that Ramon Quichocho raped her and that she and the Quichocho couple had a threesome. Zandueta was a rebuttal witness for Kim.

Frances failed to show up for the continuation of her cross-examination on Thursday, prompting U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona to reschedule the trial for Friday. Ramon Quichocho also didn’t appear in court as he reportedly brought his wife to the hospital.

On Friday, Thompson showed Frances more chats between Ramon Quichocho and Kim in 2008. Frances maintained that she pretended to be Ramon Quichocho in those chats to find out if her husband had an affair with Kim.

In one chat in which the sender reminded Kim about a love mark on her neck, Thompson asked Frances how she knew that Kim had one. Frances replied that she saw Kim with a love mark on the neck that afternoon.

Thompson pointed out that in the chats, Kim repeatedly urged Ramon Quichocho to go back to his wife and tell Frances “you’re number one.” Still, Frances continued to deceive Kim after this, Thompson said. Frances agreed that she made more effort to deceive Kim through chats.

Frances said she doesn’t remember when she eventually stopped pretending to be Ramon Quichocho in those chats.

When the trial continued at 1:30pm after a lunch break, Frances asked to be excused as she was not feeling well. Manglona excused Frances and ordered her to return today, Monday at 8am, to continue the cross-examination. Frances was seen holding her stomach as her husband escorted her outside the courtroom.

Manglona then let Kim’s lawyers, Thompson and Robert T. Torres to call their rebuttal witness, Zandueta.

Zandueta, 30, used to work for the Quichochos from April 2008 to February 2009. She then worked for Kim from February 2009 to September 2010. She now works at the Commonwealth Health Center.

Zandueta testified that Ramon Quichocho mentioned in April 2008 that he was not supposed to be a member of Tan Dingo LLC for conflict of interest because he was representing Kim.

She said that Kim became a member of Tan Dingo, but she does not know how. She said she saw a bill of sale, in which Kim turned over poker machines to Tan Dingo.

Zandueta said that Kim contributed a good amount—about 50 percent—to Tan Dingo. She said she recalled a conversation that Kim would be a part-member of Latte Stone LLC with the Quichochos.

Zandueta recalled that in March 2009 Kim told her during lunch at Laolao Bay Golf Resort that Ramon Quichocho raped her in Guam and that it did not happen only once as they also had a threesome.

Zandueta said she asked Kim why she did not do anything like call the police. Kim reportedly explained that she was too weak at the time as she took medication for depression and anxiety.

When she asked why she did not fight, Kim reportedly stated no one would believe her and that Ramon Quichocho is powerful. When she asked Kim why she agreed to the threesome, Kim reportedly said she was drunk at the time.

Zandueta said that Kim showed her Ramon Quichocho’s text and chat messages with her.

Zandueta said when the Quichochos couple returned to Saipan from the Philippines, there were many “childish things” that happened at their building.

Among these, Zandueta said, were the Quichochos’ housemaid, Sheryl Cruz, pouring a bucket of water from the second floor down to Kim’s car where she and Kim where talking inside; spitting on Kim’s car; the Quichochos’ complaints about the water supply, plants, and surveillance camera.

She said she wanted to get down from the car and confront Cruz, Frances, and their paralegal after the water splashing incident but Kim stopped her, advising her not to stoop to their level.