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Island Times – Koror, Palau – Director of the Bureau of Public Safety Cary Levitre submitted an undated letter to Vice President and Minister of Justice Uduch Sengebau-Senior, resigning from his Director of Public Safety position, effective March 15, 2024. The letter was undated and was not on an official Bureau of Public Safety letterhead.
The Office of the Minister of Justice received the letter on February 26, 2024, informing the Minister of Justice Senior of Levitre’s decision to resign and blaming the Vice President and Minister of Justice Uduch as the reason for his resignation.
In the letter, Director Levitre said he resigned because of the Senate oversight hearing, which he claimed Vice President Senior organized.
Furthermore, he claimed that his resignation meant that he could not continue working with the Vice President Senior because of the nepotism surrounding her. He cited that Senator Umiich Sengebau is Vice President Senior’s brother, her Chief of Staff is also her sister-in-law, and her nephew is the Chief of the Transnational Crime Division.
Levitre further claims that Vice President Senior is easily “distressed” when he makes improvements to the organization, stating that Vice President did not approve the three demotions he made last year, which included her nephew, claiming that she “said” it would not look good for re-election.
In a letter dated February 29th, Vice President Uduch Sengebau-Senior slammed back at Levitre, saying he was resigning due to his incompetence, blaming the Vice President and diverting attention from his inability to carry out his Director of Public Safety responsibilities.
Vice President Senior immediately pointed out that Levitre had submitted his resignation to the wrong person and that his letter was unprofessional, undated, and not on an official letterhead benefiting his position.
“Your letter should be addressed to the President of Palau as he is the person who appointed you and hired you,” said Vice President and Minister of Justice Senior.
Quoting 34 PNC 5021 (a), “..there shall be a Director of the Bureau of Public Safety who shall be responsible to the President. The Director shall be appointed by the President and shall serve at the President’s pleasure.” “This means,” added Vice President Senior, “you serve at the President’s pleasure so you must advise the President that you are resigning…”
On Levitre’s claim that Vice President Uduch was responsible for the Senate oversight hearing on him, Uduch said that this was an insult to Senator Secilil Eldebechel, Chairman of the Senate JGA Committee. She said the Senate did not summon her to the oversight hearing, and Levitre did not ask her to accompany him. She further noted that Levitre, as Director of the Bureau of Public Safety, is the ultimate authority on the operations of the BPS under the law and the rules and regulations and, therefore, is the most appropriate person to be summoned.
On the allegations of nepotism, Vice President Uduch challenged Levitre’s claims, saying that her brother, Senator Umiich Sengebau, is a senator because the people of Palau elected him to the position, just like Senator Mason Whipps is the President’s brother, elected by the people to the Senate. Regarding her chief of staff being her sister-in-law, the Vice President said she appointed Roxanne Blesam as her Chief of Staff, just like President Whipps appointed his cousin Jennifer Anson, to be National Security Coordination. “Are you suggesting that the President of Palau is surrounded by nepotism?”
In his resignation letter, Levitre claimed he had tried to see the Vice President, but she never had time to meet him. Vice President Uduch countered the claim, saying that Levitre never made efforts to meet with her but instead had spent his time talking with her secretaries and leaving brief notes despite a mandate that required him to report at least once a month to the Vice President the operations of the Bureau of the Public Safety. Since his return to Palau in January, according to the Vice President, Levitre has yet to provide a single report or meet with her and the divisions’ chiefs.
“Although you appear on the Ministry of Justice organization chart under me, you have never reported to me on BPS operations,” expressed VP Senior.
Refuting Levitre’s allegations that she gets “distressed” with decisions he makes, Vice President Senior said that his decision to transfer one of his staff to the Bureau of Marine Security and Fish & Wildlife was denied by the Director of Human Resource because Levitre did not comply Civil Service Regulations not by the Vice President.
Lastly, Vice President and Minister of Justice Uduch Sengebau-Senior cited the BPS regulations that say any adverse actions by the Director of the Bureau of Public Safety require the approval of the Minister of Justice. She said that she disapproved the demotions by Director Levitre and the claim that she said that it was not good for re-election is a “blatant lie.”
“In a desperate attempt to obscure your incompetence, you are now blaming me for your failure to meet your responsibilities under the law as the Director of the Bureau of Public Safety,” expressed Vice President and Minister of Justice Uduch Sengebau-Senior.
Source : https://islandtimes.org/bps-director-levitre-resigns/