Former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka denies hiding FBI informant in jail

The former second-in-command at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department took the stand Friday in his obstruction of justice trial, telling jurors he did nothing to impede a federal probe into excessive force within the jail system.

During two hours of questioning from his attoey, former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka was eventually asked about the charges in the federal criminal case.

He is accused of knowing of and doing nothing to stop efforts by jail guards to thwart attempts by the FBI to contact jail inmate-tued-informant Anthony Brown and bring him before a grand jury in August 2011.

“No,’’ Tanaka responded firmly when asked by defense attoey Jerome Haig if he had ignored a federal subpoena for Brown or helped in “hiding’’ the inmate within the sprawling jail system.

Tanaka, who has served as mayor Gardena for 11 years, also insisted he was not aware of anyone in the Sheriff’s Department ordering such actions.

In testimony that disputed the words of a string of previous witnesses, Tanaka painted himself as not overly conceed when he leaed of the FBI’s covert probe of brutality allegations at Men’s Central Jail and other facilities.

“I don’t remember having any particular reaction,’’ he told jurors when asked about how he handled news of the federal investigation.

Earlier this week, witnesses said Tanaka was furious and had repeatedly cursed the FBI after discovering that the agency had “flipped’’ an inmate and was secretly looking into abuse allegations.

According to prosecution testimony, Tanaka was aware of the illegal plan by deputies to conceal Brown’s whereabouts as well as an attempt to intimidate the FBI’s case agent on the probe.

In his testimony Friday, he portrayed himself as an ambitious, demanding law official who had no tolerance for deputies who violated the rules.

“Those that violate the policy should be treated accordingly,’’ he told the Los Angeles federal jury.

Tanaka is charged with two counts of obstructing justice by attempting to derail the federal investigation. If convicted of both counts, Tanaka, 57, would face up to 15 years in federal prison.

He is expected to retu to the witness stand Monday to face cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attoey Brandon Fox.

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Fox’s questioning was interrupted by a defense objection almost as soon as it got started when he asked Tanaka about his time as a sergeant at the Lynwood sheriff’s station in the 1980s.

As soon as Fox mentioned the Vikings, a clique of Lynwood deputies who have been described in court papers as a white supremacist gang, Haig leapt up to object. The judge sent the jury home for the weekend and ordered both sides to brief their arguments involving the issue. Tanaka has admitted to having a Vikings tattoo on an ankle.