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Reksid wants evidence of ethics violations excluded from trial
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Posted on Sep 13 2011
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
Department of Public Lands special assistant to the secretary Franz B. Reksid has asked the federal court to stop the U.S. government from submitting evidence of the CNMI’s Government Ethics Code against him during jury trial.
Attorney Mark B. Hanson, counsel for Reksid, asserted that the U.S. government’s planned introduction of ethics law and Reksid’s alleged violation of the same would be unfairly prejudicial and confusing to the jury.
“The evidence, in any case, should only come in through and expert and notice an expert witness at the eve of trial would also be highly prejudicial to Mr. Reksid,” said Hanson in Reksid’s motion to exclude evidence.
The indictment charged the 70-year-old Reksid with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds.
The indictment alleged that from January 2009 to August 2009, Reksid borrowed over $300,000 from friends, associates, and relatives and wired part of the money to Ivory Coast and Nigeria. He also allegedly solicited $3,000 from the owner of a business that was seeking to obtain a contract with DPL.
In Reksid’s motion, Hanson said at 4pm on Friday, the U.S. government filed an amended witness list, listing as one of the exhibits the CNMI Procurement Regulations, citing to various sections of the Government Ethics Code (not the CNMI Procurement Regulations).
Hanson said the alleged ethics violations are irrelevant and should be disallowed.
Hanson said the alleged conduct is not charged in the superseding indictment.
If allowed, the lawyer noted, the introduction of such evidence would require the testimony of an expert on the CNMI Government Ethics Code and the prosecution has consistently stated that it does not intend to call any experts in the trial in this case.
Reksid’s motion was set for a hearing yesterday.
