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Ewa Villages witness
says he cashed $217,546 in
checks for uncle Kahapea

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

The nephew of fired city housing official Michael Kahapea testified that he cashed checks for his uncle and his stepfather totaling $217,546, but did not receive any of it.

To back up that statement, prosecutors in the Ewa Villages trial yesterday showed jurors a copy of a letter signed by Kahapea stating that he "asked and influenced" Michael John Barnett, his nephew, "to cash numerous checks for various sums of money."

Kahapea is facing 47 counts of money laundering, theft and other charges for allegedly bilking the city's Ewa Villages relocation fund of $5.6 million.

Prosecutors said he authorized payments from the fund to the sometimes fictitious companies of family, friends and acquaintances for work either not completed or done for inflated prices.

One of those family members, prosecutors say, was Russell J. Williams, Barnett's stepfather. Williams was also indicted in the case, but died last year.

According to the letter that Barnett said he drafted and had his uncle sign, Kahapea said he "had 'bank cashier checks' from various banks made out to be paid to the order of Michael J. Barnett."

The checks were drawn from the accounts of Claude Hebaru and David "Brian" Kaahaaina, who, like Williams, were both also indicted for accepting money from Kahapea and then kicking some of it back.

Donald Wilkerson, Kahapea's attorney, tried to have Barnett's testimony and letter stricken from evidence citing an inability to properly question the witness because of interruptions from Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee.

Judge Reynaldo Graulty denied Wilkerson's motion.

Barnett, who said he was named for the uncle who he is "very close" to, said he did not receive any money for the service and that he initially did not question his elders.

When he finally did query his uncle, Barnett said, Kahapea told him that he did not have time personally to cash the checks from the bank.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Kaahaaina testified that he received between $700,000 and $800,000 in "bumped up" payments from the city and returned half to Kahapea.

Kaahaaina said he gave the money back to Kahapea either in cash or through cashier's checks.

Most of the work he did was cleanup of areas within Ewa Villages, and Kahapea made him falsify payment claim sheets by saying he was doing packing and relocating, he said.

In related news, Kahapea attorney Wilkerson said he had Mayor Jeremy Harris subpoenaed to testify as part of his case. Harris, who will likely testify later this month, had no comment.