Posted on: Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Leader of probe retires at HPD

Advertiser Staff

Maj. Daniel Hanagami, who headed the investigation into illegal campaign donations, retired from the Honolulu Police Department last week.

Hanagami was the lead investigator in the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office's 3 1/2-year-old prosecution of dozens of architects, engineers and others who violated campaign spending laws by making illegal donations to former Mayor Jeremy Harris and other politicians.

Hanagami was in charge of other major investigations, including the prosecution of former city housing official Michael Kahapea, who was convicted of bilking the city in the 1990s out of nearly $6 million in connection with the 'Ewa Villages revitalization project.

In addition, Hanagami led an investigation that resulted in the 1991 felony prosecution of two high-ranking police officials on charges of diverting food intended for prisoners at the main police station cellblock and using it to feed police officers.

Hanagami was assigned last year to the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office to work full time on the campaign contribution cases.