P.D. Hemlani Foundation seeks appointment of special master

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Attorneys for the P.D. Hemlani Foundation appeared in the District Court of Guam today, seeking an emergency motion for a temporary receiver over the Radhi Puran Building and other trust assets. As we reported on Primetime Monday, the Foundation is trying to protect the interests of charitable organizations on Guam and the CNMI that were supposed to benefit from millions of dollars left behind by the late P.D. and Radhi Hemlani. 

During the status conference, District Court Judge Joaquin Manibusan ruled that the trust assets are currently being protected by the Public Guardian.  Marcelene Santos, the public guardian, recently filed an independent investigation report revealing that certain individuals made changes to gain control of the trust, doing away with the foundation and purportedly taking millions for themselves - essentially stealing from the underserved that P.D. Hemlani wanted to help.

Among those mentioned are those who are also defendants in the civil suit the PDHF filed against them - Hemlani's nephews Manu Melwani and Don Hemlani. The defendants opposed protection over the trust assets and have filed a motion to dismiss the case and any attempts to appoint a receiver. 

The court meanwhile has set a motion hearing for November 22 as the foundation and the Public Guardian fully support the appointment of a special master to identify all trust assets that were allegedly diverted by the defendants and taken from charities.

Manu Melwani declined to comment and is currently off-island and referred KUAM News to his attorney, Bill Mann, who says his client has filed a motion to dismiss the case and says that it clearly explains the situation from his client's point of view.

Mann said he wouldn't try the case in the media, but says his client's side of the story has not been told.