There’s more craziness in the bribery case involving Honolulu’s former city prosecutor, Keith Kaneshiro, and several people associated with the engineering/architectural firm, Mitsunaga & Associates, including is owner, Dennis Mitsunaga.

On Sunday evening, prosecutors filed an emergency motion alleging witness tampering and the disclosure of grand jury materials subject to a protective order in the case. Civil Beat reporter Christina Jedra jumped on the story right away (“Feds In Corruption Case Accuse Mitsunaga Defense Of Document Leaks And Witness Tampering / Federal prosecutors have launched a new investigation into the incident in the case involving former Honolulu prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro“).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Hawaii is now investigating a possible attempt to influence a witness in the case, Jedra reported.

“These are not mere technical violations,” prosecutors said in a court filing. “They are troubling, significant violations. Indeed, the violation of the Court’s Protective Order was committed in conjunction with a blatant attempt to tamper with upcoming witness testimony.”

According to the motion, a witness expected to present damaging testimony against the defendants was allegedly approached, provided a copy of prior grand jury testimony, and pressed to alter their testimony.

The witness, Rudy Alivado, is a former police officer who has admitted to federal investigators that he gave false testimony in a civil trial after being coached by Mitsunaga’s attorney in the case, Sheri Tanaka, who is a defendant in the current federal criminal case.

Alivado has previously said he and Dennis Mitsunaga went to high school together in Hilo, graduating a year apart, and have been longtime friends, and partners in at least two limited liability companies between 2004 and 2020, records show.

In response, attorneys for four defendants–Terri Ann Otani, Aaron Fujii, Sherri Tanaka, and Chad McDonald,–filed responses stating that neither the defendants nor their counsel were involved in any violations of the protective order. Only defendants Dennis Mitsunaga and Keith kaneshiro failed to file a similar statement.

During a Tuesday morning hearing before Judge Timothy M. Burgess, which was closed to the public, a brief discussion was held with defendants and counsel, court minutes show. Then a separate sealed discussion was held between the judge, Mitsunaga, and his attorney.

A final 2-minute session set another hearing for this morning, Wednesday, April 17, at 8:30 a.m.

A copy of the emergency motion is attached.

Emergency motion for enforcement of protective order by Ian Lind on Scribd