Posted on: Friday, September 27, 2002

U.S. attorney joins airport probe

Advertiser Staff

The federal government has joined the state's investigation of alleged bid-rigging and kickbacks in the award of millions of dollars of state airports construction contracts.

State Attorney General Earl Anzai announced yesterday that the U.S. attorney's office has joined the probe, begun last year by the state Transportation Department and continued this year by Anzai's office.

"We are pleased that U.S. Attorney Edward Kubo has agreed to put the weight of his office behind our investigation of the financial misconduct occurring at the Honolulu International Airport," Anzai said in a press release yesterday.

Anzai said the federal government adds "significant additional investigative resources" to the case. And convictions in federal court "would lead to longer (prison) sentences than are available under the state system," Anzai said.