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Fired Mirikitani
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
employee reportedly
accused in fraud case
Star-BulletinA fired employee of City Councilman Andy Mirikitani is being accused of charging nearly $10,000 in computer equipment, furniture and supplies with an illegally obtained charge card in the name of the Honolulu City Council, according to City Hall sources.
Although the account at the Kamakee Street branch of Office Depot was made in the name of the Council, statements were sent to the employee's home address, sources said.
Tom Ching, a manager at the Kamakee Street Office Depot, confirmed that police were looking into a charge account and a former member of the Council staff but declined to give specifics.
Police confirmed yesterday that a report was filed during the weekend involving a former Mirikitani employee and between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of charges on an Office Depot account.
HPD would not confirm if a formal investigation has been initiated.
Neither Mirikitani nor Corporation Counsel David Arakawa would comment.
The former employee referred calls to an attorney, who would say only that his firm was representing the former employee in matters related to Mirikitani and his office.
One source said the charge card was obtained after the employee showed a business card to the store. City Council policy is to not authorize any employee to open an account on behalf of the Council without the approval of the chairman because of state procurement rules.
Charges to the account were made before and after the termination, one source said.
Mirikitani supposedly initiated the fraud investigation against the former employee, who is also the subject of a separate police case involving the theft of computer diskettes from the councilman's office.
The Police Department's theft detail confirmed that case is under investigation.
The employee is not one of two other fired employees who, late last year, filed a complaint with the city equal employment officer alleging Mirikitani abused them verbally.
The employee also is not connected with an FBI investigation into allegations that Mirikitani had employees accept one-time increases in their pay in exchange for kickbacks.
