Mental fitness at issue
in donations case
City prosecutors are calling for the appointment of a medical panel to determine whether a retired executive can stand trial on charges he made illegal political donations to Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign.
In court papers filed earlier this month, prosecutors requested a three-member panel examine Larry Matsuo's fitness to answer charges that he laundered money to the Harris campaign and made a political donation under a false name.
Circuit Judge Richard Perkins was scheduled to hear the matter this morning.
Matsuo is the former president of Park Engineering, one of the state's largest engineering companies. His attorney, Darwin Ching, could not be reached for immediate comment.
Prosecutors said Ching recently told them that Matsuo suffered from memory loss and that his decision-making skills have eroded.
Matsuo faces up to five years in prison for the money laundering charge and up to a year in jail for the campaign spending violation.
A recent Star-Bulletin study linked Park Engineering to more than $115,000 in political donations to Harris and other prominent local Democrats. Harris received $80,250 of the total, while former Gov. Ben Cayetano was given $26,500. Former Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana received about $9,000 from people linked to the company.
Under state law a donor can give no more than $4,000 to a mayoral candidate and $6,000 to a gubernatorial candidate during a four-year election cycle. Contributors also are barred from making political donations under false names.
Park Engineering has received more than $5.5 million in nonbid consulting work from the city during the past eight years.
Campaign Spending Commission
www.hawaii.gov/campaign