Torres accuses AG of malicious prosecution after court upholds settlement

Former governor Ralph DLG Torres has accused Attorney General Edward Manibusan of malicious prosecution and using his office as a political weapon after the Superior Court rejected the Commonwealth’s attempt to invalidate a settlement agreement that led to the dismissal of two criminal cases against him.

Superior Court judge pro tempore Arthur R. Barcinas, in a 10-page decision issued Friday, Oct. 16, denied the Commonwealth’s motion to invalidate the March 23, 2026 Global Civil Settlement Agreement, ruling that the government failed to establish grounds to overturn the agreement or disturb the dismissals with prejudice.

In a statement Saturday, Oct. 17, Torres maintained his innocence and questioned why the Attorney General’s Office continued pursuing the cases despite a settlement reached by its own special prosecutor.

“The Court has spoken. The settlement stands,” Torres said.

Torres alleged that Manibusan had advised him that he was not required to respond to a legislative subpoena and that flying premium class during official government travel did not violate travel regulations.

He said he relied on that advice but was subsequently prosecuted by Manibusan and assistant attorneys general Robby Glass and James Kingman, even though the Attorney General’s Office had represented him.

Torres said the CNMI Supreme Court subsequently found all three prosecutors conflicted, prompting the appointment of special prosecutor David Karch, who later negotiated the settlement.

“I believe this conduct demonstrates malicious prosecution and a disregard for the rule of law,” Torres said.

The former governor said years of litigation had taken a personal, emotional, and financial toll on his family. He also accused the Attorney General’s Office of allowing political interests to influence prosecutions.

“It’s tremendous authority must never become a political weapon. Justice must be impartial, fair, and free from political favoritism or retaliation,” Torres said.

Asked for comment on Torres’ allegations and the ruling, Office of the Attorney General spokesperson Olga Kelley declined to comment.

Torres maintained that the settlement was not an admission of guilt and thanked his supporters. He said he and his running mate, Benjamin Jones, would instead focus on economic recovery, education, and retirees’ pensions.

In his decision, Barcinas rejected the Commonwealth’s arguments that Karch lacked authority to execute the settlement and that certain provisions violated public policy.

The judge found that Karch was the government’s attorney of record when the agreement was executed and that neither the court nor Torres had been notified of any restrictions on his authority.

“The Commonwealth has failed to establish that the Settlement Agreement is invalid, that the dismissals entered pursuant to Rule 48(a) should be disturbed, or that public policy requires a different result,” Barcinas wrote.

Under the March 23 agreement, Torres agreed to pay the Commonwealth $23,745, representing the difference between premium-class and economy-class airfare expenses.

In exchange, the Commonwealth agreed to dismiss both criminal cases with prejudice and not pursue criminal or civil charges arising from his government service through Jan. 9, 2023.

The Attorney General’s Office later sought to invalidate the agreement, arguing that Karch lacked authority to bind the government.

However, Barcinas ruled that any internal restrictions on Karch’s authority did not provide sufficient grounds to invalidate the settlement, particularly after the court had approved the dismissals.

The judge also noted that Torres had fulfilled his obligations under the agreement and that the Commonwealth had accepted the benefits of his performance.

The ruling leaves both criminal cases dismissed with prejudice, meaning the same charges cannot be refiled.