Rail land-buy poses conflict of interest

Transit officials work for a bank whose site is on a list of parcels the city may purchase

By Kevin Dayton

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 22, 2012

~~<p>A document submitted by transit officials to the City Council in July indicates the Honolulu rail authority plans to buy First Hawaiian Bank property worth more than $5.7 million, but city officials now say the document is incorrect and outdated.</p>
<p>Any plan by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to buy bank property would raise potential conflict-of-interest issues because current and former First Hawaiian Bank executives are overseeing development of the publicly funded rail project.</p>
~~

A document submitted by transit officials to the City Council in July indicates the Honolulu rail authority plans to buy First Hawaiian Bank property worth more than $5.7 million, but city officials now say the document is incorrect and outdated.

Any plan by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to buy bank property would raise potential conflict-of-interest issues because current and former First Hawaiian Bank executives are overseeing development of the publicly funded rail project. Login for more...