by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - The Attorney General's Office wants to make it clear that they were never informed about the Guam Police Department's efforts to obtain a search warrant to raid the KUAM Studios for a single document that was aired on the news. Even during today's oversight hearing, management at GPD testified that they had consulted with an assistant AG.

AGO Spokesperson Eric Palacios confirms that the chance meeting at the courthouse between a Criminal Investigation Division agent and an assistant AG occurred after police had already obtained the search warrant.

Palacios also wanted to clear the record about discussions police claim they had with his agency, saying, "With all due respect, those statements are not true. The Office of the Attorney General's position has not changed on this matter. Our office was not advised, apprised, consulted, asked, notified, requested to provide advice or guidance or however anyone wants to term it at any time prior to a search warrant being obtained and most especially before a search warrant was executed and a search conducted."

"Had our office in fact been made aware of beforehand," Palacios continued, "our office in my honest opinion would have very likely advised the Guam Police Department against taking the very course of action it did take."

Palacios says the AG's Office has encountered similar situations where media published materials were needed for matters being actively investigated or litigated and the office either asked for a copy or tried to obtain a copy itself before issuing a subpoena for the records.