HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and three other current and former state officials pleaded not guilty Thursday to bribery and conspiracy charges, as defense attorneys immediately raised doubts about whether prosecutors can win the case — particularly with the key defendant still at large.
An Oahu grand jury returned the 12-count indictment last week following a months-long investigation by the Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division.
Luke, who has been on unpaid leave since April, arrived at the courthouse behind a wall of security before sharing hugs, and even waving a jaunty shaka for the camera…