Governor suspends Gov. Ben Cayetano has put Hawaii Paroling Authority Chairman Alfred K. Beaver Sr. on administrative leave with pay because of an internal affairs investigation.
parole chairman
Al Beaver is the focus of an
unspecified internal affairs probeBy Pat Omandam and Debra Barayuga
pomandam@starbulletin.com | dbarayuga@starbulletin.comThe action, effective yesterday, means Beaver will not report to work but must cooperate with the investigation by the state Department of Public Safety's internal affairs office. Beaver, 58, also must be available to the paroling authority and to Ted Sakai, state public safety director.
The governor did not disclose the nature of the allegations.
"This investigation is being undertaken to determine whether there is any truth to the allegations about Mr. Beaver," Cayetano said in a statement yesterday.
"Mr. Beaver, of course, is presumed innocent of any alleged wrongdoing, but the allegations are serious enough to warrant a full and thorough investigation."
Beaver could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Sakai said he cannot discuss any aspects of the investigation and cannot confirm if it has anything to do with recent reports that Beaver allegedly attempted to commute the sentence of Chad Wilderman, who was convicted of armed robbery last year and is serving a 20-year sentence.
The Hawaii Paroling Authority considers commutation for all except those sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Sakai said the internal affairs investigation began recently. He is not sure how long it will last.
"The governor wants us to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible," he said, "but it's very difficult to predict how long it will take."
Once the investigation is complete, the report will be sent to Sakai or to the next public safety director. Sakai and all other members of the Cayetano administration leave office Dec. 2, when Gov.-elect Linda Lingle's administration assumes power.
It will be up to Lingle to decide what to do, Sakai said.
In 1998, Beaver was reappointed to the paroling authority, this time as chairman. But during his state Senate confirmation, Beaver faced criticism stemming from allegations by some paroling authority staff members that he tried to get a union official's son into a drug rehabilitation program on short notice.
An investigation by then-state Attorney General Margery Bronster failed to substantiate these complaints.
The three-member paroling panel sets minimum terms of imprisonment; grants, denies or revokes parole; and supervises parolees.
As chairman, Beaver earns $77,966 a year. The chairman is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate to a four-year term and can serve no more than two consecutive terms.
Beaver's second term was to have expired in June 2004.
He was first appointed to the authority as a part-time member in the summer of 1995, then later became interim chairman when former Chairman Claudio Suyat resigned six months early in 1997.
The chairman is the only full-timer on the board. The two other part-time members are Lani Rae Garcia and Mary Tiwanak.
Sakai said the work of the authority will not be compromised by Beaver's absence, and the two remaining members will be able to conduct business as usual.
Beaver, a former police officer, public school teacher and University of Hawaii assistant football coach, led the board in issuing longer minimum sentences to murderers and showing less tolerance toward violent and repeat offenders.
State of Hawaii
