Palau News: Return of Undeclared Chinese Cash Lady; Ship Registry Disaster Looms; New Court Counsel
Chinese national charged for bringing in $30K undeclared cash
WRITTEN BY JOSE RODRIGUEZ T. SENASE
THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2015 23:40
A Chinese woman is in hot water once again after she failed to declare the more than $30,000 cash she was bringing to this island nation. One Chen Hong was charged with one count of Tampering With a Government Record. The Office of the Attorney General filed the charge against Hong on Sept. 30, 2015.
Tampering With a Government Record is classified as a misdemeanor punishable by incarceration for a definite term not to exceed one year or a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both. According to court documents, Customs Officer Eudora Didil Lucio was conducting routine travel inspections at the Palau International Airport on Sept. 28, 2015 when she was approached by a passenger later identified as Chen Hong. Hong gave Lucio her declaration form which was filled out and indicated she had nothing to declare. Lucio noticed on the entry form that Hong had been to Palau five or more times.
Lucio inspected the baggage in Hong’s possession and the first bag only contained personal items. In the second piece of luggage, Lucio found an envelope underneath the clothing that was discovered to contain a quantity of US $100 bills. Lucio asked Hong how much currency was in the envelope and Hong took it from her and wrote 9999 on the envelope. Lucio asked Hong if she had any more money in her possession and Hong stated that she did not. Lucio then asked Hong if she had more money in her purse, and Hong told her she did not. Hong was then asked to open her purse and she complied. A search of Hong’s purse revealed a wallet containing more US currency. Lucio then seized all the cash and escorted Hong to their office for a secondary search, accompanied by Customs Officer Landis for amount verification. The total amount of money in Hong’s possession was counted and verified as $30,300.
Hong was interviewed regarding the purpose of the money, and she told Lucio that it was for Shallum Etpison for her rent. Lucio said that at no time did Hong provide an explanation for failing to disclose the true amount of currency in her possession.
Travelers to and from Palau are required to declare if they are bringing more than $10,000 in cash. This is the second time that Hong was charged in connection with undeclared cash.
On March 20, 2015, Hong was convicted under the Cash Courier Disclosure Act after a trial in Criminal Case No. 15-022. Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong ordered her to pay $1,000 fine.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2021%3Achinese-national-charged-for-bringing-in-30k-undeclared-cash&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
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Palau Ship Registry Eyes Asia Expansion
WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2015 13:24
Marinelinks.com, September 30, 2015, 10:57 AM- With the opening of three new offices in Asia, The Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) said it is pushing ahead with a growth strategy intended to place the Palau flag among the region’s foremost ship registers. The newly opened offices in Qingdao and Dalian, China, and Tainan, Taiwan join PISR’s existing offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Fuzhou-China, to fortify the register’s position across the Asia-Pacific region.
Jai Acharya, PISR’s newly appointed Regional Head of Business Development, Southeast Asia, said, “The new offices and the appointment of executive officers with a demonstrable track record and experience in international shipping and registry procedures enhance the profile and capabilities of PISR, not only in the Far East but across the globe. We have experienced a significant increase in the number of ships registered to the PISR fleet and believe expansion in the most prominent ports in Asia will drive further growth.”
Speaking of the importance of a PISR office in Taiwan, PISR technical adviser Tim Ho, a former manager with classification society DNV, Taiwan, said, “Some of the world’s leading container carriers are based in Taiwan, and the country’s shipbuilding sector is set to become the third largest supplier of container vessels in the 1,000 to 10,000TEU range, so to have an office here will be a considerable benefit to ship builders and ship owners alike.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2007%3Apalau-ship-registry-eyes-asia-expansion&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
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Palau Judiciary Welcomes Second New Court Counsel for 2015 - 2016 Term
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WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2015 13:19
The Palau Judiciary is pleased to welcome our second of three new Court Counsel for 2015 - 2016, Mira Serrill-Robins. Mira was born and raised in New York City, where her father recently retired from a career in journalism and her mother worked as a nurse practitioner, then studied to be a medical librarian. Mira lived in Brooklyn until college, when she moved to Massachusetts to attend Amherst College. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish, with a certificate in International Relations after studying in Sevilla, Spain for a semester.
After graduating from Amherst, Mira worked for two years in the Frauds Bureau at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Mira moved across the country to attend Stanford Law School, south of San Francisco, earning her J.D. in 2011. She stayed on the West Coast of the United States for another two years, working in litigation at the law firm Proskauer Rose in Los Angeles. After that she moved to Chicago for two years to work as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge Philip P. Simon in the Northern District of Indiana.
Mira enjoys travel and outdoor activities generally. She got SCUBA-certified while she lived in Los Angeles, finishing her testing off Catalina Island in January 2013 in 54-degree Fahrenheit (about 12 degrees centigrade) water - so needless to say she is excited to dive in Palau. Mira also hopes to visit all of Palau’s waterfalls, and as many of its states as she can reach. She looks forward to spending her year as a Court Counsel learning about Palau’s laws, and spending her free time outdoors.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2000%3Apalau-judiciary-welcomes-second-new-court-counsel-for-2015--2016-term&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
WRITTEN BY JOSE RODRIGUEZ T. SENASE
THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2015 23:40
A Chinese woman is in hot water once again after she failed to declare the more than $30,000 cash she was bringing to this island nation. One Chen Hong was charged with one count of Tampering With a Government Record. The Office of the Attorney General filed the charge against Hong on Sept. 30, 2015.
Tampering With a Government Record is classified as a misdemeanor punishable by incarceration for a definite term not to exceed one year or a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both. According to court documents, Customs Officer Eudora Didil Lucio was conducting routine travel inspections at the Palau International Airport on Sept. 28, 2015 when she was approached by a passenger later identified as Chen Hong. Hong gave Lucio her declaration form which was filled out and indicated she had nothing to declare. Lucio noticed on the entry form that Hong had been to Palau five or more times.
Lucio inspected the baggage in Hong’s possession and the first bag only contained personal items. In the second piece of luggage, Lucio found an envelope underneath the clothing that was discovered to contain a quantity of US $100 bills. Lucio asked Hong how much currency was in the envelope and Hong took it from her and wrote 9999 on the envelope. Lucio asked Hong if she had any more money in her possession and Hong stated that she did not. Lucio then asked Hong if she had more money in her purse, and Hong told her she did not. Hong was then asked to open her purse and she complied. A search of Hong’s purse revealed a wallet containing more US currency. Lucio then seized all the cash and escorted Hong to their office for a secondary search, accompanied by Customs Officer Landis for amount verification. The total amount of money in Hong’s possession was counted and verified as $30,300.
Hong was interviewed regarding the purpose of the money, and she told Lucio that it was for Shallum Etpison for her rent. Lucio said that at no time did Hong provide an explanation for failing to disclose the true amount of currency in her possession.
Travelers to and from Palau are required to declare if they are bringing more than $10,000 in cash. This is the second time that Hong was charged in connection with undeclared cash.
On March 20, 2015, Hong was convicted under the Cash Courier Disclosure Act after a trial in Criminal Case No. 15-022. Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong ordered her to pay $1,000 fine.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2021%3Achinese-national-charged-for-bringing-in-30k-undeclared-cash&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
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Palau Ship Registry Eyes Asia Expansion
WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2015 13:24
Marinelinks.com, September 30, 2015, 10:57 AM- With the opening of three new offices in Asia, The Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) said it is pushing ahead with a growth strategy intended to place the Palau flag among the region’s foremost ship registers. The newly opened offices in Qingdao and Dalian, China, and Tainan, Taiwan join PISR’s existing offices in Singapore, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Fuzhou-China, to fortify the register’s position across the Asia-Pacific region.
Jai Acharya, PISR’s newly appointed Regional Head of Business Development, Southeast Asia, said, “The new offices and the appointment of executive officers with a demonstrable track record and experience in international shipping and registry procedures enhance the profile and capabilities of PISR, not only in the Far East but across the globe. We have experienced a significant increase in the number of ships registered to the PISR fleet and believe expansion in the most prominent ports in Asia will drive further growth.”
Speaking of the importance of a PISR office in Taiwan, PISR technical adviser Tim Ho, a former manager with classification society DNV, Taiwan, said, “Some of the world’s leading container carriers are based in Taiwan, and the country’s shipbuilding sector is set to become the third largest supplier of container vessels in the 1,000 to 10,000TEU range, so to have an office here will be a considerable benefit to ship builders and ship owners alike.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2007%3Apalau-ship-registry-eyes-asia-expansion&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
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Palau Judiciary Welcomes Second New Court Counsel for 2015 - 2016 Term
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WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
THURSDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2015 13:19
The Palau Judiciary is pleased to welcome our second of three new Court Counsel for 2015 - 2016, Mira Serrill-Robins. Mira was born and raised in New York City, where her father recently retired from a career in journalism and her mother worked as a nurse practitioner, then studied to be a medical librarian. Mira lived in Brooklyn until college, when she moved to Massachusetts to attend Amherst College. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish, with a certificate in International Relations after studying in Sevilla, Spain for a semester.
After graduating from Amherst, Mira worked for two years in the Frauds Bureau at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Mira moved across the country to attend Stanford Law School, south of San Francisco, earning her J.D. in 2011. She stayed on the West Coast of the United States for another two years, working in litigation at the law firm Proskauer Rose in Los Angeles. After that she moved to Chicago for two years to work as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge Philip P. Simon in the Northern District of Indiana.
Mira enjoys travel and outdoor activities generally. She got SCUBA-certified while she lived in Los Angeles, finishing her testing off Catalina Island in January 2013 in 54-degree Fahrenheit (about 12 degrees centigrade) water - so needless to say she is excited to dive in Palau. Mira also hopes to visit all of Palau’s waterfalls, and as many of its states as she can reach. She looks forward to spending her year as a Court Counsel learning about Palau’s laws, and spending her free time outdoors.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2000%3Apalau-judiciary-welcomes-second-new-court-counsel-for-2015--2016-term&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1