The Republic of Palau has been without a Special Prosecutor for two years and nine months; that is, here since February of 2010 when the last Special Prosecutor resigned. Now, click less than two months before a change in the administration, Senator Toribiong is moving to finalize his Committee’s recommendation on the appointment a Special Prosecutor. If confirmed, the Special Prosecutor would serve a term of five years.
The proposed SP, Brently Foster, is currently employed with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). The AGO acts as legal counsel to the Republic and the President. In her capacity as an Assistant Attorney General, Foster has already reviewed approximately 45 cases from the former SP’s Office. Foster has also prepared a status report on each of these cases. The Attorney General, in a her letter recommending Foster, admitted that she has reviewed Foster’s status report on each of these 45 cases. However, these cases were assigned to the SP so that they would have the “have the greatest degree of independence” from the President. 2 PNC §503(a)(2). This raises an immediate concern as to whether her complete independence hasn’t already been compromised.
The Resolution to confirm Ms. Foster was referred to Senator Toribiong’s Committee more than three months ago. Yet, it was just this week, on November 19, 2012, that Senator Toribiong requested his Committee meet at Joe’s Bar and Restaurant to finalize its recommendation. If he brings the matter to a vote, it can be decided while the so-called majority block of eight still controls the Senate. Nine Senators are required for a quorum, but if the 5 minority Senators do not attend the session for voting on this matter, they could effectively block Foster’s SP appointment.
2 thoughts on “Senator Toribiong Pushes Appointment of Special Prosecutor”
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Joel Toribiong should just give up. His brother Johnson is history and this next senate term will be his last in any office.
Joel Toribiong is a classic con-artist. During Tommy’s second term as president, he vehemently opposed presidential budget reprogramming. Then when his brother got elected president, he says in a senate session that the OEK should just trust the president and accept all his reprogramming without question.
He sits on the SP appointment until now as a desperate attempt to affect the SP office’s work. That’s right, OTV, isn’t Brently Foster already compromised?
Is Joel trying to cover-up something he and his brother Johnson did in the last four years? Does Foster know something they don’t want us to know?… Uighurs and where they reside, perhaps?
And isn’t asking senators to hold a meeting at your own “bar and restaurant” a conflict right there in that conceivably public funds may be spent at such a meeting and a direct benefit to Joel Toribiong?
Give it up, guys. Palau’s experiment with the Tmetuchl/Toribiong machine is over. Johnson is out. Joel will serve his last four years. Mlib will be stripped of his authority in the senate and his lack of intelligence will be clearly revealed and he will eventually be voted out of office.
Just look at the landslide that ended the Toribiong and Mariur administration. The show’s over and so move on. Have a drink… but wait, I thought you Seventh-Day Adventists don’t drink?
TRJ stole over 600k during his presidency, he was involved with that president from taiwan that was convicted of laundering and stealing money also. so who will benefit the most if this SP doesn’t make it in? use your brain. and on top of all that you all voted for Baules to get back in? before Allen Marbou? put down the ice cream and go for a walk fat boy.