A federal magistrate has ruled that former Honolulu Liquor Commission investigator Eduardo Mina is a flight risk and ordered that he be held without bail. Inspector accused of
taking bribes ordered held
Star-Bulletin staff
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Seabright had asked the court Thursday that Mina be detained because he had fled from the United States knowing he was facing potential criminal charges.
Mina, 72, admitted to the FBI in a Jan. 30 interview that he had accepted money from bar owners in exchange for disregarding liquor violations, according to Seabright.
His wife, who was later interviewed when he failed to show up for work, told authorities that he had left for the Philippines on Feb. 5, Seabright said.
Mina was arrested Nov. 25 at his daughter's home in Quezon City. He was returned to Honolulu where he pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Cliff Hunt, Mina's attorney, had said earlier that Mina left for the Philippines because he did not hear from the investigators after he was initially interviewed.
Hunt said Mina has been living and volunteering at a church.
Mina was among eight employees of the Honolulu Liquor Commission who were indicted May 22 for allegedly taking bribes from hostess bars and strip clubs from October 2000 to December 2001.
Five defendants have since changed their pleas and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Mina, Arthur Andres and a supervisor, Harvey Hiranaka, are set for trial in November 2003. Trial was initially scheduled for February.
U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang continued the trial at the request of Andres' attorney, who sought the delay because of the large amount of discovery in the case, including the transcription of six months' worth of tapes recorded by an undercover liquor investigator.
