Djou worries over possible
switch in Harris probe

Two Councilmembers express
concern over potential delays

Honolulu City Council members are raising concerns about new Police Chief Boisse Correa's plan to reassign the top investigator in the criminal probe of Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign.

Councilman Charles Djou sent an e-mail yesterday to Correa asking for an assurance that the proposed reassignment of Maj. Daniel Hanagami "has nothing to do with politics or favoritism toward the mayor's office."

Djou and City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi also said they are worried about the potential delays to the Harris probe should Hanagami be replaced by a new investigator.

"We should be rewarding people like this and setting them off as an example rather than removing them when they do a good job," said Kobayashi, chairwoman of the Council Budget Committee.

Police spokeswoman Jean Motoyama said no decision has been made on Hanagami's status. She said Correa has yet to speak with city Prosecutor Peter Carlisle or to the Council members about the matter.

Deputy Police Chief Glen Kajiyama told the Star-Bulletin last week that HPD is contemplating the move due to manpower reasons. But he stressed that no decision will be made until Correa meets with Carlisle this week.

Kajiyama said that criminal investigations are typically conducted by HPD detectives and not by division commanders like Hanagami. In addition to the Harris investigation, Hanagami heads the HPD's Information Technology Division.

Alex Garcia, Oahu regional chairman for the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, said in a recent union newsletter that he supports reassigning Hanagami. Garcia said he believes that "a major should be commanding a division, not doing detective work."

Hanagami, who declined comment, has led the HPD's side of the Harris criminal investigation for 2 1/2 years. That investigation has netted dozens of guilty and no-contest pleas from donors linked to major city contractors, including former Honolulu Police Commissioner Leonard Leong.

Deputy Prosecutor Randal Lee said that Hanagami's expertise would be difficult to replace and that his integrity and independence are unquestioned. Lee noted that Hanagami's assignment to the Harris investigation in 2001 was approved by then-Police Chief Lee Donohue with the full knowledge of HPD's assistant chiefs, which included Correa.

"Mr. Carlisle has indicated that we will proceed with the investigation to ensure that all people who are involved with this kind of illegal wrongdoing will be brought to justice," said Lee. "It's too important an issue for the public."

In a related matter, two donors linked to the local engineering firm of R.M. Towill Corp. pleaded guilty to charges that they made political contributions to the Harris campaign under false names.

Architect John Adversalo, 48, and local building materials supplier Daniel Rosario, 42, changed their pleas from not guilty before Circuit Judge Steven Alm yesterday. Alm said he's inclined to sentence each to 10 days in jail but will consider granting them a deferral that allows them to get their criminal cases dismissed if they remain trouble-free.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 29.