She knew there was something wrong last year, and a recent audit released by Guam Office of Public Accountability backed up her suspicions.

"Definitely brings flashbacks of that oversight hearing," Sen. Sabina Perez told KUAM News. 

A chorus from that hearing May 2000 hearing include former government officials:

"I certainly was not taking the forward lead on that, that's for sure," Linda Unpingco DeNorcey, then Department of Public Health director said. 

"The governor was the procuring officer during the course of this particular event," Carlo Branch, then governor's policy director said. 

"Im prohibited by 5GCA 5150 and Guam Rules of Professional Conduct in talking about," Attorney Jessica Toft of the AG’s office said. 

"Legal counsels were instructed to work GHRA will to serve as quarantine sites," Haig Hyun, then governor's legal counsel said. 

A 64-page audit report released by the Guam OPA earlier in the week validates concerns first raised during a more than four-hour oversight hearing led last year by Perez into the emergency procurement of quarantine hotels and isolation facilities last March.

"What this audit really does it affirms what was found in the oversight hearing that procurement law was not followed," she said.

 

According to the OPA there were no signed contracts, the procurement record was incomplete, and the governor's legal counsel and son-in-law, Haig Hyun had a conflict of interest with one of the hotels that was procured as a quarantine site. In total, the OPA found $3 million in questionable costs. But because the AG's office was providing advice on the procurement can anyone be held accountable?


"It would be difficult to investigate something in which you were involved in it would require more of an independent review," Perez said. 

Attorney John Thomas Brown who teaches the mandatory class on procurement for government employees and elected leaders says the power lies with the people.


"There's a fascinating law on Guam for a long time and it's called the enforcement of proper government spending," he said. 


The law is intended to hold government leaders accountable in how they spend the people's money and makes note that generally laws related to improper spending of funds by the executive branch have generally not been enforced and in some instances "openly ignored". The law also includes standing for any taxpayer to file suit.


"So step right up folks take a number--sue away," Brown said.