28 May 2013

CNMI's Buckingham granted bail, surrenders passport

8:32 pm on 28 May 2013

The former attorney general of the Northern Marianas, Edward Buckingham, has been granted bail after appearing in court in Saipan.

Mr Buckingham turned himself in to the Department of Public Safety this morning after returning from the American state of Colorado where he was facing extradition to the Commonwealth.

Our CNMI correspondent, Mark Rabago, says Mr Buckingham made a brief appearance where he posted bail of 50,000 US dollars.

"He's checked in at the Hyatt Regency Saipan right now. He was told by Judge Wiseman to surrender his passport so he won't go anywhere and was also told to contact daily his attorney, Brien Sers Nicholas, so that everybody knows that he's still here on the island."

Mark Rabago.

Mr Buckingham fled the territory last August to avoid being served a penal summons for allegedly violating election laws and illegally approving a number of sole-source contracts on behalf of a former governor, Benigno Fitial.