Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Sunday, October 3, 2021
Will Al Hee Cut Off Your 911 Service?
By Andrew Walden @ 9:42 PM :: 3523 Views :: DHHL

by Andrew Walden

A criminal may be cutting off 911 service for some Hawaii telephone lines according to US Bankruptcy Court documents filed by attorneys for Hawaiian Telcom, Saturday, October 2, 2021.

According to documents filed October 2, 2021, in US Bankruptcy Court, Hawaiian Tel has attempted to negotiate a contract with Sandwich Isles Communications, owned by federal felon and ex-con Al Hee, which would have allowed SIC to continue to use the former Paniolo inter-island phone and data cables lost by Hee in bankruptcy proceedings. 

Instead of negotiating, Hee sent a letter, September 11, 2021, to Hawaiian Homes beneficiaries claiming Hawaiian Tel was threatening to cut off service and urging Hawaiian Homes Commissioners to deny Hawaiian Tel personnel ‘Right of Entry’ to the Paniolo facilities Hawaiian Tel bought out of bankruptcy.  Hee then appeared at the September 20, 2021, Hawaiian Homes Commission meeting (at 2:54 mark) to lobby unsuccessfully for Hawaiian Tel to be blocked.

Akamai readers will recognize this as the type of ‘Dead Hand Maneuver’ described by the Bankruptcy Trustee in an August 16, 2021 Status Report 

Hawaiian Telcom attorneys October 2, 2021, explain:

Prior to and after the Closing, however, Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc. with its principals and related parties and entities…have continually implemented a campaign of obstruction, frustration, and delay…. (pg5)

… the SIC Parties did not provide the requested information or seriously engage in any negotiations pertaining to new commercial arrangements. To the contrary, in apparent violation of its obligations under the Sale Order, the SIC Parties actively frustrated cooperation requests, sought to undercut HTI’s discussions with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and lobbied government agencies to oppose HTI’s ownership and use of the Paniolo Network…. (pg8)

How could this affect 911 service? 

…(there is) concern regarding SIC end-users who provide critical services (the “Critical Services”) in the Hawaiian Islands, including but not limited to first responder organizations, police, sheriff’s department, correctional facilities, fire, emergency services, hospitals, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Harbors Division, correctional facilities, educational institutions (K-12 and universities) and governmental agencies (hereafter, the “Critical Services Users”). The SIC Parties must promptly identify Critical Services Users so that the impact of the SIC Parties’ failures on these Critical Services and Critical Services Users can be mitigated as much as possible…. (pg 9)

Why would Hee refuse to cut a deal necessary to the survival of his remnant Sandwich Isles (SIC) holdings?  Maybe because he doesn’t expect to keep them much longer.  As explained:

Not only did the SIC Parties default in their payment obligations to the Trustee under their former usage arrangements, but the SIC Parties are seriously delinquent in unrelated trade payments to HTI (over $1 million dollars) for use of the existing HTI network.

As this Court is also aware, certain of the SIC Parties are also the subject of litigation brought by the United States, through its agency, the Rural Utilities Service, alleging breach of contract, foreclosure and other related claims relating to the SIC Parties’ loan agreements. See United States of America v. Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc., et al., Civ. No. 1:18-cv-001145-JMS RT (USDC Hawaii).

The SIC Parties are also subject of a forfeiture order before the Federal Communications Commission, which found that certain of the SIC Parties are jointly and severally liable for proposed fines and penalties that exceed $49.5 million, relating to amounts certain of the SIC Parties improperly claimed and collected, and in some cases personally diverted, under various federal grant programs designed to support the Hawaiian Home Lands. See In the Matter of Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc., Waimana Enterprises, Inc, Albert N. S. Hee, EB-IHD-00019603.

Needless to say, SIC has not paid the invoice for services provided to them on the Paniolo Network after the Sale. (pg7)

---30---

PDF: Hawaiian Tel Motion to Enforce

Aug, 2021: Trustee: Criminal Al Hee Rakes in $15M While on Parole

Sept 2020: FCC Fines Al Hee $49M for Fraud

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT