Three Kaua'i police officers were arrested yesterday after being indicted for theft and other charges accusing them of ditching two days of marijuana investigation training on Maui and then lying about it.

Sgts. Wesley F. Perreira and Lawrence E.T. Stem and police officer Channing T. Tada, former vice squad members, allegedly submitted false attendance records and a post-training memorandum claiming they were present for the Sept. 13-14 sessions hosted by the Maui Police Department, according to indictments issued Monday by a Kaua'i grand jury.

Perreira is charged with second-degree attempted theft, second-degree theft and two counts of tampering with a government record; Stem is charged with two counts of second-degree theft and three counts of tampering with a government record; and Tada is charged with two counts of second-degree theft and two counts of tampering with a government record.

The theft charges are related to the money Kaua'i County spent on their travel expenses. The indictment does not provide a specific amount they are accused of taking; however, the threshold for second-degree theft is a minimum $300. The felony is punishable by up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine. Tampering with a government record is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

All three police officers surrendered to authorities yesterday for arrest and processing at the Kaua'i Police Department, and Perreira and Tada were released after posting $4,000 bail and Stem after posting $5,000 bail. They are scheduled for arraignment tomorrow in Kaua'i Circuit Court.

Acting Kaua'i Police Chief Clayton Arinaga said the three officers will be placed on administrative leave with pay. He declined to comment further.

Honolulu attorney Michael Green, speaking on behalf of the three officers, said yesterday he hadn't seen the indictments but planned a "vigorous defense."

The case resulted from a joint investigation by Kaua'i police and the state Department of the Attorney General, which got involved due to the potential conflict of interest in having local authorities investigate colleagues, according to Supervising Deputy Attorney General Christopher Young.

Before he was named acting chief in June, Arinaga repeatedly requested an investigation of the alleged misconduct by Perreira, Stem and Tada, according to a "whistleblower" lawsuit he filed in February against the county, the Kaua'i Police Department and former chief K.C. Lum. The pending lawsuit said Arinaga's superiors never investigated and ordered him not to initiate his own inquiry.

The lawsuit also said that Perreira, Stem and Tada later claimed they were unable to attend the training because they were sick with food poisoning.