HONOLULU -- A rampaging elephant in Honolulu may have helped expose corruption at the city liquor commission.

So far, six Honolulu liquor inspectors have pleaded guilty to overlooking violations in return for bribes from bar owners. The last two charged, Harvey Hiranaka and Eduardo Mina, went on trial. Mina's attorney Friday said Mina's friendship with the mayor meant he wasn't welcome into the conspiracy.

"There'll be tapes (that say) that they did not trust him. They did not think he could be trusted," Mina's attorney, Clifford Hunt, said.

Hironaka's lawyer said his client got money, but considered it harmless gifts for which he did nothing in return.

Prosecutors said they have audiotapes recording the bribes and conversations between inspectors. Inspector Charles Wiggins who wore an FBI wire for six months made the recordings.

"Our goal was, 'Where are we gonna get money tonight? Who's paying and who's not paying? Who we gonna go shake down?'" Wiggins said in an interview last year.

The defense says Wiggins was also corrupt, a liar, paid $70,000 in expenses by the FBI.

"He decides to cooperate with them when it is in his interest," Hunt said.

The defense attack on Wiggins includes the allegation that he gave pictures of new inspectors to Club Rock-Za and was suspected by management of faking back injuries.

That's where Tyke the elephant comes in. Tyke's rampage came just a month after Wiggins started at the Liquor Commission. He was in the crowd at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena and said he badly re-injured his back pulling panicked spectators to the balcony. That injury cost him months at work. When he was nearly fired, he said he decided to work with the FBI.

The trial will last several weeks. It's not clear whether the judge will be asked whether the elephant is relevant.