The Guam Visitors Bureau’s Board is under fire by lawmakers.
With GVB management and its legal counsel speaking on who has actual control over the bureau as well as issues surrounding alleged corruption.
This all happened on April 7 during what some might say is an overdue oversight meeting at the 37th Guam Legislature at the Guam Congress Building in Hagatna.
“President Gutierrez do you stand by the findings of BRCC Report,” Republican Sen. Jesse Lujan questioned? He is the vice chairperson on the Legislative Committee on Maritime Transportation, Air Transportation, Parks, Tourism, Higher Education and the Advancement of Women, Youth, and Senior Citizens.
“After numerous discussions and rehashing with the legal counsel, and top management and some board members I guess I do stand on it,” said Carl Gutierrez, president & CEO of GVB. “Because I’ve got to be able to rely on the amount of time, recourses, that the council put in there. Plus other people that he had helping him.”
What was supposed to be an oversight hearing on the topics of financial updates, GVB Board and Membership, GVB enabling legislation and bylaws, and Guam Destination Management and Industry Recovery Updates.
Turned into a runaround discussion surrounding the Business Risk Compliance and Control Committee or BRCC report, which was not on the agenda.
GVB made headlines in recent months as they failed to establish a proper meeting since May 2022.
Along with Gutierrez alleging that there is corruption within the board.
The report which vice chair on tourism, Lujan, had requested through a Freedom of Information Act, talks about suspected closed door meetings involving GVB sponsorships
That meeting involving Sam Shinohara, Ben Ferguson, and Milton Morinaga, a board director.
According to the report, the alleged closed door meeting involved GVB funding the United Guam Marathon, which all three men had ties in.
With Shinohara’s involvement in the matter, a possible conflict of interest might be present as he is the uncle of Democratic Senator Amanda Shelton, the chairperson of Legislative Committee on Maritime Transportation, Air Transportation, Parks, Tourism, Higher Education and the Advancement of Women, Youth, and Senior Citizens.
To discuss the BRCC report in further detail and Senator Shelton says that they will have another meeting soon.
###
