The Narcotics Enforcement Agency Director Ismael Aguon clarified that an officer who was fired from the NEA last year was not because of his testimony about Mike Taman being an informant.
The fact that Taman was an informant was withheld from the defense prior to the trial and was only revealed mid trial.
Aguon said that Officer Lebilau Sebalt was fired from the NEA because of his ill behavior including alcohol and intoxication.
According to the court records, it was Sebalts testimony about Taman being the informant along with Taman testifying that he was the informant that led to vacating a part conviction in Arnold Buck Vs Republic of Palau last year.
Taman was arrested at the Manila airport on the 16th of April for alleged meth trafficking. Happy Fritz who got arrested few days later in Palau had left for Manila on the same day of Tamans arrest.
When asked if there is a connection between the two, Aguon denied any knowledge of it but said, “The connection is Philippines. The Philippines has the availability of ice. These are two who got caught but there are a lot of Palauans who go there but are not caught. ” (By Eshan Kalyanikar)