State abandons pursuit of former trustee Wong
By David Waite
Advertiser Staff Writer
The state attorney general's office announced late yesterday afternoon that it is dropping all efforts to prosecute former Bishop Estate trustee Richard "Dickie" Wong and developer Jeffrey Stone on criminal charges.
Advertiser library photo • April 12, 1999
The announcement comes in the aftermath of a Hawai'i Supreme Court ruling Friday that upheld 1999 decisions by Circuit Court Judge Michael Town, who dismissed a series of indictments brought against Stone, Wong and Henry Peters, another former trustee, for alleged wrongdoing in a Hawai'i Kai land deal.
Richard 'Dickie' Wong will not drop his lawsuit accusing the state attorney general of malicious prosecution.
"We disagree with the Supreme Court's ... decision last Friday," said Supervising Deputy Attorney General Lance Goto in a brief news release. "On the other hand, because of the decision and other circumstances, we have decided to dismiss both cases. Both cases are in the Supreme Court on appeal, and we will be taking action immediately to dismiss them."
The Supreme Court decision Friday was highly critical of repeated attempts by the attorney general's office to bring Stone, Wong and Peters to trial on theft charges — and perjury charges in Wong's case — despite a series of dismissals by Town. The court affirmed the dismissals and rejected the state's appeals.
Yesterday the attorney general's office dropped its appeal on Wong's perjury charges.
The charges against Wong, Petes and Stone grew from an investigation into the multibillion-dollar Bishop Estate under then-Attorney General Margery Bronster. In 1999 a state judge removed Wong, Peters and two other members of the board of the charitable trust, now known as Kamehameha Schools. A fifth trustee resigned.
Wong's attorney, Eric Seitz, sent a letter to the attorney general's office Monday urging officials to drop further efforts to keep the prosecution alive.
Seitz said the announcement yesterday was "the answer to my letter and the appropriate course of action ... to take."
He said Wong planned to pursue a lawsuit filed in federal court accusing the state attorney general's office of malicious prosecution.
"We made no deal with (the AG's office)" to drop the federal lawsuit, Seitz said.
Reach David Waite at dwaite@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030.
