SAIPAN — The defense team for former Governor Ralph Anthony Deleon Guerrero Torres said a prosecution motion seeking to invalidate the settlement that ended his criminal cases is without merit and that it will respond through the judicial process.
The statement, issued June 1, responds to a motion the Office of the Attorney General filed May 29 asking the Superior Court to void the global civil settlement agreement that led to the dismissal of the two criminal cases against Torres. Under that March 23 agreement, Torres paid $23,745 in exchange for dismissal of all charges and a promise not to prosecute him for conduct arising from his time in government.
In its statement, the defense said Torres sought a fair and conflict-free prosecutor from the start of the case. The team said Attorney General Edward Manibusan, Assistant Attorney General Glass and Special Prosecutor Kingman were each disqualified over conflicts of interest before a conflict-free prosecutor was appointed. That prosecutor reviewed the case, exercised independent judgment, reached a resolution and had it approved by the Court, the statement said.
The defense said it was troubling that the prosecution is now attempting to revisit the same allegations after Torres relied on a resolution the Court had approved. It noted the charges were originally filed months before the 2022 gubernatorial election and that the effort to revive them comes months before the 2026 election, adding that the timing speaks for itself.
The statement said Torres has been focused on the Commonwealth’s recovery and on how he can continue serving the people of the CNMI as a private citizen.
The OAG motion, filed by Assistant Attorney General Olga Kelley, argues that Assistant Attorney General David Karch lacked the authority to grant Torres immunity and that shielding him from prosecution was against the public interest. The two cases, filed in 2022 and 2023, charged Torres with counts including misconduct in public office, theft and contempt.
