Wants position of advisor to President, submits names of potential replacements
Public Safety Director Cary Levitre said he is not resigning from Public Safety. He said this at a talk show on Palau Wave Radio on Saturday, contrary to the report in the July 28th issue of Island Times.
During the Senate budget hearing with the Ministry of Justice last Thursday, Director Levitre responded to Senator Hokkons Baules’s question on whether he was returning back to work after the report that he was leaving the country and Levitre said that he was returning back to Palau, but he wants to come back as the advisor to the President. He said he had provided four names to President Whipps for possible replacements.
“When I return, I don’t know when that will be, I want to come back as an advisor,” Director Levitre said of his plans.
This statement was interpreted as Mr. Levitre leaving the job, which he clarified on Saturday not to be the case.
“I didn’t know Palau was so corrupt, underpaid, and understaffed,” he said of the police work, responding to Senate President Hokkons Baules.
He said his job was quite overwhelming, so much so that he didn’t have time to meet with news reporters who had repeatedly asked for an interview.
He admitted to the Senate at the hearing that he had scheduled an interview with news reporters Sunday, knowing he was leaving the country a day earlier, Saturday.
He gave an interview on Palau Wave Radio the next day upon request from Senator Tellames.
Director Levitre appointed Ms. Valerie Ikesakes, Administrative Officer of the Bureau of Public Safety, as the Acting Director of Public Safety until his return on August 30th, 2023.
“During my absence, you are hereby assigned/delegated the authority to act on my behalf and to oversee the daily operations of the Bureau of Public Safety,” stated the DOA memorandum.