Otsuka indicted on An Oahu grand jury has issued a new indictment against a former Maui beauty queen who was a witness in City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle's criminal investigation into Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris' political campaign.
theft, forgery charges
Harris aides to testifyBy Rick Daysog
rdaysog@starbulletin.comThe secret panel charged Lisa-Katharine Otsuka yesterday with one count of second-degree theft and eight counts of second-degree forgery.
The charges, which are unrelated to the Harris investigation, come less than two months after an Oahu grand jury indicted the 32-year-old Otsuka for allegedly stealing $3,000 from a Wahiawa nonprofit group.
Circuit Judge Dan Kochi issued a bench warrant for Otsuka's arrest and set her bail at $45,000.
Otsuka's attorney Victor Bakke declined comment, saying he was not aware of the details of the yesterday's indictment. Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee also had no comment.
The charges stem from Otsuka's work as a freelance bookkeeper in 1999 for Hon/Hawaii Service Inc., a now-defunct Kakaako auto repair business.
According to the indictment, Otsuka wrote eight checks totaling more than $12,000 to herself on Hon/Hawaii's Bank of Honolulu checking account between Sept. 1, 1999 and Nov. 29, 1999.
The prosecutor's office wants to question Otsuka, a former Miss Maui, about her receipt of $300,000 from Campaign Services Inc., a polling and public relations company that did work for the Harris campaign.
More than $75,000 of Campaign Service's payments to Otsuka originated from the Harris campaign, according to people familiar with the prosecutor's investigation.
Harris has said he does not know Otsuka, and the campaign has said he did not make any payments to Otsuka.
Otsuka was arrested Sept. 9 for failing to appear at a grand jury hearing.
She also was arrested Aug. 15 in Waikiki on suspicion of promoting prostitution.
Also in September, an Oahu grand jury indicted Otsuka for allegedly stealing money from Wahiawa-based Manutahi, a nonprofit Tahitian dance group that was attempting to help at-risk youths.
Otsuka has pleaded not guilty to the theft charge and has denied wrongdoing.
