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Kamehameha trustees ask court not to reappoint colleague

Sophie Cocke

Kamehameha trustee Janeen-Ann Olds has lost the support of her colleagues as she seeks another term on the Board of Trustees of Kamehameha Schools.

On Friday the four other trustees of Kamehameha Schools asked the Probate Court to deny Olds’ petition to serve six more years on the board in light of a recent scandal involving her company, Sandwich Isles Communications, and its parent company, Waimana Enterprises. Her term is up Jan. 31.

Earlier this year the companies’ founder, Al Hee, was indicted for tax fraud after federal prosecutors accused him of skimming $4 million from Waimana Enterprises to pay for personal expenses such as college tuition for his children, jewelry, massages and travel.

Olds, who serves as CEO of Sandwich Isles and was formerly general counsel to Waimana, was not charged in the affair, but her fellow trustees told the court the situation was “negatively impacting Kamehameha Schools’ reputation and hindering and will continue to hinder our ability to move forward.”

There “are significant concerns raised regarding Ms. Olds’ management, background, expertise, reputation, credibility, integrity and leadership, all of which are core criteria for selection of a trustee of the estate,” the trustees wrote in a letter to the court and signed by Robert Nobriga, Corbett Kalama, Micah Kane and Lance Wilhelm.

Olds did not return calls seeking comment.

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