18 Feb 2014

A former CNMI police chief to testify in former AG's trial

7:30 am on 18 February 2014

The former police chief of the Northern Marianas' Commonwealth Ports Authority, Jordan Kosam, has been allowed to testify at the trial of the former attorney general, Edward Buckingham.

This is despite strong opposition by the Office of the Public Auditor, which is leading the prosecution, and Mr Kosam's own lawyer.

But the trial's judge, Kenneth Govendo, ruled that although Mr Kosam is allowed to testify, any information from his testimony is not allowed to be used in Mr Kosam's own pending criminal case.

In the trial, he talked about his background and admitted that he was at the Saipan International Airport when Mr Buckingham and his wife left the territory in the early hours of the 4th of August 2012.

Jordan Kosam and several others including the former governor Benigno Fitial, have been charged with conspiring to shield Mr Buckingham from being served a penal summons.