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IN FBI PROBE AGAINST TORRES, OTHERS
Judge seals 2 documents, unseals 1
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Posted on Nov 20 2019
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona yesterday ordered the sealing of two documents pertaining to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe against Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC, and others.
In a sua sponte order, Manglona said the first exhibit shall be sealed until otherwise ordered by the court pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure because it is a sealed document from another matter pending in the District Court.
Sua sponte order refers to a judge’s action made without a request by any party to the case.
Manglona said the second exhibit shall be sealed until otherwise ordered by the court pursuant to Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Court dockets show that the first exhibit is the search and seizure warrant, while the second is the grand jury subpoena.
Manglona, however, unsealed the third exhibit.
The third exhibit is FBI’s receipt for property, which lists what were seized from IPI’s accounting office at Marina Heights Building I in Puerto Rico, Saipan.
Manglona said that last Nov. 13, IPI, through counsel Phillip Tydingco, filed a second motion to stay and a memorandum of support of the motion in a civil case.
She said Tydingco attached three exhibits to its memorandum.
Manglona said she then sua sponte restricted access to the exhibits.
The three documents, including the two now being sealed, were leaked through social media.
The FBI is reportedly looking into possible violations of federal laws that involve Torres, his family, IPI, and other persons, resulting in the execution of search warrants on several sites last Nov. 7 and 8.
