Mafnas: I always exercise impartiality and justice

On-leave Department of Public Safety commissioner Ramon C. Mafnas stated that he “always exercises impartiality and justice.”

Asked by Office of the Attorney General chief investigator Vicente Babauta during an interview on April 4, 2012 regarding a petition for his removal as DPS commissioner, Mafnas said he conducts his performance of duties and responsibilities for and in the interest of the people of the Commonwealth and the department.

Babauta’s notes that contain Mafnas’ interview were among the several exhibits included in the OAG’s report concerning many allegations of misconduct against Mafnas. Babauta listed the location of his interview with Mafnas only as “San Roque residence.” Babauta and Mafnas are neighbors, Saipan Tribune learned.

According to Babauta’s notes, Mafnas stated that in any office business or any incident, it’s his ultimate responsibility to make sure that he establishes coordination, planning, operation, logistic, financial, human resource, necessary for successful outcome.

“My present or action is nothing personal against anybody, my business is strictly objective to insure protocol follow, so the outcome is successful,” Mafnas said.

Over 140 DPS personnel signed the petition for Mafnas’ removal. Police Capt. Pedro Leon Guerrero spearheaded the petition.

According to the petition, “Mafnas’ authoritarian leadership, confrontational approach, micro-management and lack of faith and trust in the staff of the Department of Public Safety has brought a never ending fear of reprisal, humiliation and degradation within our ranks and file.”

On the petition issue, the OAG’s report said the challenge with the petition is that it contains general allegations that are “too vague to form the basis of any proposed action against Mafnas.

The OAG said greater specificity was essential to give the investigation an appropriate scope and focus.

Thus, the OAG said, chief investigator Babauta was asked to separately interview the primary authors of the petition-Police captains Leon Guerrero and Lawrence Camacho-to obtain specific examples of each of the four general allegations.

For these interviews, the OAG said 11 specific incidents were identified as appropriate investigative areas.

The OAG’s report found, among other things, that Mafnas violated investigative standards and interpersonal standards of conduct but cleared him of any violation of law.

Attorney General Edward T. Buckingham, chief prosecutor Peter Prestley, and OAG chief investigator Babauta prepared the OAG report upon Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s instruction to investigate the allegations against Mafnas.