Procurement, BMV threatened with contempt for failing to produce docs

Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman has ordered the CNMI Office of Procurement and Supply and the Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles to explain why they did not comply with a court order in connection with the corruption charges against former Department of Public Safety deputy commissioner Ambrosio T. Ogumoro.

As this developed, the Office of the Attorney General filed Thursday a second amended information charging the 57-year-old Ogumoro with eight counts relating to theft by deception, misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit theft by deception, removal of government property, and theft by unlawful taking. The first amended information charged Ogumoro with 10 counts.

The second amended information charged Ogumoro’s co-defendant, Herman M. Manglona, with conspiracy to commit theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

In separate orders on Thursday, Wiseman ordered Procurement and Supply and BMV to appear in court today, Monday, at 10:30am.

Wiseman said he ordered Procurement and Supply and BMV last Nov. 6 to comply with Ogumoro’s subpoenas for some documents on or before Nov. 18. Wiseman said he also ordered Procurement and Supply and BMV to file written objections on or before Nov. 16.

Wiseman said he did not receive any written objections.

The judge said Ogumoro stated on record that Procurement and Supply and BMV have yet to comply with his request for records.

Wiseman ordered Procurement and Supply director Herman S. Sablan to attend the hearing last Thursday and was notified of the court’s intent to issue the order to show cause.

The jury trial of Ogumoro and Manglona will start on Dec. 7, 2015. Last week, the court dropped the charges against Ogumoro’s co-defendant, Katherine Manglona, a former police officer.

Last April, then-chief prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas filed an information charging Ogumoro with 10 counts.

The original information also charged Katherine Manglona with conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition and theft by unlawful taking or disposition. Katherine Manglona is Ogumoro’s girlfriend.

Herman Manglona was charged with conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking or disposition and receiving stolen property. Herman is brother of Katherine Manglona.

According to the allegations, Ogumoro brought a 1995 Toyota four-door Tercel that belonged to DPS to a shop to be repaired using DPS funds totaling $2,500 in 2012 and then sold the vehicle as “scrap” for only $50 to Herman Manglona.

Ogumoro and Katherine Manglona also allegedly instructed a DPS staff to bring a DPS desktop computer to a shop for repair using DPS funding in the amount of $276. The computer was allegedly later used in the office at True North Bar & Grill, which is owned by Ogumoro.