Donohue denies delay in food probe
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
Police Chief Lee Donohue yesterday said there was no delay or reluctance last year to begin the investigation of high-ranking police officials involved in an alleged food-buying scheme in the central receiving cellblock.
Donohue said he told the Police Commission of a planned investigation into the misuse of prisoner food funds two days after a complaint by now retired Maj. Gordon Young. The chief issued the statement after Young asked the commission in a closed-door meeting Wednesday to determine why HPD administrators took two weeks to act on his complaint.
Young's complaint led to the indictments last month of Assistant Chief Rafael Fajardo Jr. and Maj. Jeffrey Owens on charges of felony theft. They are accused of using prisoner food money to buy food that was fed to police officers. Donohue has acknowledged that he and many other officers ate some of the meals, but said he had no idea they had been purchased improperly.
Donohue yesterday said Young met with two of Donohue's deputy chiefs on Oct. 30 last year. During the meeting, Young asked that then-Capt. Daniel Hanagami be assigned to lead the investigation.
Donohue said he was told of the complaint that same day and two days later told the commission the department would investigate and Hanagami would lead the effort.
He said the investigation did not begin right away because Hanagami was not available. He was working on "other high profile and complex cases," Donohue said.
"He was out of town from Nov. 1 to 8 and could not begin working on this case any sooner," the chief said. "This case proceeded without delay and the investigation has resulted in indictments of high-ranking police officials."
The chairman of the Police Commission yesterday confirmed Donohue's version of the events. Leonard Leong said the chief announced Nov. 1 that an investigation was under way. He said the commission told Young of that fact Wednesday.
"We shared with him the fact that we knew of (his complaint) as of Nov. 1," Leong said.
Leong said he contacted Donohue after Wednesday's 90-minute hearing with Young to ask the chief about the "lag time."
"The explanation, I feel, was something reasonable," said Leong.
Before Donohue issued his statement, Young yesterday said he asked commissioners why it took police administrators two weeks to assign an investigator. Young said he was notified that Hanagami had been assigned the case just two hours before the broadcast of a KITV report by investigative reporter Jim Dooley on the issue. "I'm waiting for more details as to what took place between Oct. 30 and Nov. 14," said Young.
Young could not be reached for comment on Donohue's remarks.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jeremy Harris yesterday expressed confidence in Donohue's leadership and overall integrity of the police department. The mayor said he called Donohue yesterday.
"He tells me the day after these allegations were brought to his attention that he went to the Police Commission and informed them about the allegations and he was starting an investigation."
Advertiser staff writers Robbie Dingeman and Curtis Lum contributed to this report.
