One of the guests listed in a roster, hotel records, and Nonstop Corporation invoices as having stayed at the World Resort hotel in Saipan for a BOOST program event sponsored by Nonstop Corporation said he personally paid for his hotel room and travel to, from, and within the CNMI. And that Nonstop Corporation should not have been paid by the CNMI government during the Torres administration for any of those costs.
“I just want to clear the air because our names should not be there,” Jovin Santos told Kandit. “I paid for myself and three others on that list.”
Documents presented by the House anti-corruption committee investigating the corrupt use of federal funds show the CNMI government reimbursed Nonstop Corporation for the hotel stays of 12 people over a six day period in late October 2022. Mr. Santos’ name was included. He said he paid for his stay, and the accommodations of three others on that list: Vincent Guerrero, Liberty Concepcion, and Carlos Poppe.
Records indicate Nonstop invoiced the CNMI government through the Bank of Saipan for the four gentlemen’s hotel accommodations, and that Nonstop was paid more than $33,000 in November that year for that invoice and others related to the one-day marketing event for the BOOST program.
Rob Travilla, vice president of Nonstop, who appeared before the House panel this morning, refused to answer questions about the event and other matters pertaining to his role in the BOOST program.
Mr. Santos said he can provide proof of his personal payment of the hotel stays. He further indicated he did not want to be mired in any assertion or assumption he was in any way involved in any wrongdoing against the people of the CNMI.
