By Johnnie Rosario
CNMI Senate President Victor Hocog told Kandit News in an exclusive interview Thursday the Department of Public Safety should not start investigations for which there are no complainants or victims. Mr. Hocog was referring specifically to the investigation announced by DPS against former Congressman Ed Propst that began on the word of a political operative within the Torres cabal.
"I haven't really followed the news on that, but what I can tell you is they should never start an investigation where there is no complainant," Mr. Hocog said. "I will be making an inquiry when I get back to the Senate."
DPS in November, following Mr. Propst's stunning election victory, announced via news release it has started a criminal investigation into him for accusations of sexual crimes allegedly committed 20 years ago. The statute of limitations to pursue any investigation or prosecution for such alleged crimes ended 17 years ago.
DPS public information officer Adrian Pangelinan told Kandit on November 25 that he could not comment on what authority DPS has to investigate crimes alleged to have happened outside the statute of limitations. He referred Kandit to the Office of the Attorney General, saying "they have the investigation."
On December 1, OAG public information officer Carla Hocog told Kandit she didn't know why Mr. Pangelinan referred us to her office. "I have not heard about that investigation here," Ms. Hocog said.
Ms. Hocog confirmed the OAG does not pursue investigations and prosecutions for crimes alleged to have happened outside the statute of limitations.
Kandit has been trying to reach Mr. Pangelinan to ask him who - between he and Ms. Hocog - is telling the truth about this investigation. He has not answered his phone for the past four days, and several workers within DPS have refused to get him on the phone. Likewise, Kandit has tried the past four days to reach the Governor's Office to ask whether Gov. Ralph Torres ordered the investigation into Mr. Propst, and on what complaint or evidence of any alleged crime. Like several instances at DPS, either phones were not answered, or workers hung up the phone calls.
