Posted on: Tuesday, July 2, 2002

Employee suing city agency

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

An employee of the city Department of Transportation Services is suing department director Cheryl Soon, claiming he was suspended for repeatedly citing concerns about procurement, bidding and personnel irregularities within the agency.

Milton Migita, the department's administrative services officer, said in a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court yesterday by attorney Gary Okuda that he was placed on leave, given a letter of reprimand and barred from the premises by Soon on Thursday.

It asks that Migita be reinstated and awarded unspecified monetary damages.

City Corporation Counsel David Arakawa said the complaints appeared to have little merit, were several years old and likely a retaliation for disciplinary actions taken recently against Migita.