KOROR (Palau Horizon) – Former President and now Senator Tommy Remengesau Jr. was found by the court guilty of 12 counts of violation of Palau’s Code of Ethics.
Associate Justice Kathleen Salii rendered her decision Monday morning and found Remengesau guilty of the counts four, five, seven, eight, nine, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18.
However Justice Salii found Remengesau not guilty of two counts violation of code of ethics. Remengesau was acquitted of the charges as charged in counts six and 19.
For counts one, two, three, ten and 16, these charges were dismissed by the court upon the request of the prosecution for failing to prove that the properties were worth over $1,000.
Justice Salii set the sentencing for December 12.
Special Prosecutor Michael Copeland said that Remengesau is subject for a fine of up to $1.2 Million.
In an interview he said he was satisfied with the verdict.
Remengesau in a separate interview said that he believed they truly filed the financial disclosure documents as best as they could.
“It was incomplete but it’s not like that we did not file anything. When we filed in years 2000-2002, we believed that what we were filing was in compliance with the law and it is also a fact that ethics accepted our application,” Remengesau said.
When asked about the verdict, the Senator said:
“It is interesting because in our inquiries, roughly 90 percent filed the same way I did,” he said.
“And it is also an eye opener. I learned a lot from this trial and I hope other officials will also learn something from this because they will now change the way they disclose their assets.”
“From now on, everyone who acquired land through tradition will also disclose it in their financial disclosure,” Remengesau said.
The Senator added that he will look into the matter and will try to come up with a Bill that would set the requirements clear.
“I would like to see the law and pass it immediately to set requirements clear with regards to the filing of financial disclosure, to make it very simple and clear so that the filers will not be prosecuted,” he said.
“It’s only a misdemeanor, it’s a criminal act only in the sense that we filed it in the wrong way,” Remengesau said.
Remengesau was originally charged with 19 counts of violation of Code of Ethics for failing to disclose some of his assets during his term as President of Palau.
A three-day trial was held on November 2 through November 5 where government presented three witnesses namely Patrick Ramarii, Ken Uehara and Bradley Kumangai.
Defense counsel Oldiais Ngiraikelau presented Casmir Remengesau, Mirriam Sakuma and Roland Techemang Ngirengkoi.
