After a three-day bench trial CNMI Superior Court Judge Kenneth L. Govendo found former representative Vicente Camacho, and co-defendant, Teipo Nikiti, not guilty of assault and battery, and disturbing the peace.
Camacho and Nikiti were accused of assaulting Steven Koch on the evening of Oct. 29, 2021. Koch suffered abrasions, bruising and pain on his head and body from the blows sustained during the incident, the prosecution stated.
The incident stemmed from a long-standing animosity between Koch and his brother-in-law, Ignacio “Ike” S. Concepcion, and took place near their homes on Freedom Drive in Chinatown, Saipan. Concepcion is Camacho’s friend.
Camacho, a Democrat, was a two-termed representative of Precinct 3 in Saipan. He lost the last election, finishing 7th place.
