The senator who chairs the committee that has oversight over the Port Authority of Guam has launched a formal inquiry into the hiring practices at the Port and the justification for any past hiring of individuals with a criminal history.
Sen. Telena Cruz Nelson issued a letter to the Civil Service Commission on Wednesday requesting a post-audit of the Port Authority’s hiring practices.
The letter also requests confirmation that the Port’s hiring practices over the previous four years have adhered to Guam laws and the government of Guam’s administrative rules and regulations.
“While I continue to have confidence in the Port’s merit system, we must listen to the concerns of our community and ensure that our government is hiring qualified workers deserving of the taxpayer’s dime,” Nelson said. “An additional audit of the Port will help us understand the Port’s hiring process and the measures they take to provide our people the gold standard of public service.”
One of the Port’s more recent hires is Frankie Rosalin, who was one of the Department of Corrections officers arrested and charged in a conspiracy to smuggle methamphetamine into the island’s prison. Rosalin pleaded guilty to official misconduct in the case.
The Rosalin hiring is part of the reason for the inquiry, but it’s also to ensure that the Port’s merit system is efficient and effective, Nelson’s office stated.
Rosalin was hired for a $25-an-hour program coordinator job in the Port’s maintenance division.
The Guam attorney general’s office has stated it is up to the discretion of the head of a government agency to hire someone convicted of official misconduct back into the government of Guam.
Sen. Joanne Brown recently introduced legislation that would ban the rehiring of former GovGuam employees found guilty of official misconduct.
In another letter, Nelson sought information from the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency on Wednesday asking for details on the quality and frequency of cargo inspections at the Port Authority of Guam. The information requested will help determine the number of cargo inspections conducted, K9 unit handlers employed and responsible for cargo inspections, and the detailed informational reports that describe the contents in incoming cargo containerships, Nelson stated.
“This will help provide us the information we need to discern whether our cargo inspections at our island’s ports of entry are efficient and effective enough to prevent the importation of invasive species and drugs,” Nelson stated.
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