Posted on: Friday, January 14, 2005

Police raid office as probe continues

By Peter Boylan and Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Staff Writers

Police raided the office of a local computer training company Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into a complaint alleging procurement violations within the city Department of Community Services.

A search warrant was served at TeraBiz Training Center of the Pacific, according to police. Computers and documents recovered in the raid are being forensically analyzed, police said. Two calls to TeraBiz's chief learning officer, Gregg Yamanaka, were not returned yesterday.

Investigators working with the city prosecutor's office are looking at staff travel expenses and the awarding of city contracts. Deputy City Prosecutor Randal Lee, who is leading the investigation, confirmed the raid yesterday but declined to comment further.

Evidence uncovered in an earlier search of city offices in Kaka'ako led investigators to believe that more evidence would be found at TeraBiz, police said.

On Dec. 21, police raided the offices of the O'ahu Workforce Investment Board and seized the computers of the agency's executive director, Christine McColgan. A city official said McColgan has been on paid administrative leave since the raid.

The O'ahu Workforce Investment Board is a city agency that contracts for job training and employment services using federal grant money. It also coordinates job fairs.

The agency falls administratively under the city Department of Community Services. Department director Michael Amii pleaded no contest in July 2003 to a misdemeanor theft charge for ordering a city worker to help with former Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign on city time.

Amii was fined $495 and placed on conditions similar to probation for one year.

TeraBiz employs McColgan's son, Keola, whose duties include answering telephones.

Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.