Airport security consultants say their rights were 'violated'
By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer
Two state airport security consultants fired Monday by Gov. Linda Lingle's administration say they may take legal action because their "rights were violated" and they were "painted in a bad light."
The two men, former Honolulu Police Maj. Rudy Alivado and former HPD Lt. Ernest Moritomo, faxed news releases yesterday afternoon recounting their services to the state airport system under consultant contracts first awarded in 1997.
Lingle's office announced Monday afternoon that the contracts had been canceled because they were "inappropriate" and "a breach of public trust."
The contracts were renewed by then-Gov. Ben Cayetano's administration in mid-November, just weeks before Cayetano left office but months before the contracts were to expire.
Alivado was to be paid $82,500, plus up to $25,000 in overtime and $12,000 in expenses. Moritomo's contract carried a salary of $70,000 plus the same overtime and expense benefits. Both men also qualified for 21 days of vacation and sick leave benefits — unusual perquisites in state-awarded personal services contracts.
"We have worked hard since Governor Cayetano assigned us to focus on corruption at the Honolulu International Airport," Alivado's news release said.
"It is unfortunate that were were not allowed to complete this investigation for the benefit of the taxpayers."
Alivado wrote that he would be consulting an attorney "to determine my options."
Moritomo said he would be doing the same.
"Based solely on information provided by the new state administration, the news media without all the facts had painted us in a bad light," Moritomo said in a written statement.
In an e-mail message to The Advertiser, Cayetano said, "Governor Lingle should be the last person in this state to cast sanctimonious charges about illegal contracts. Her action in terminating the contracts without even the courtesy of an explanation to the two men is vindictive and politically motivated."
Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2447.
