CCC to hold hearing on May 3 to decide future of IPI casino licence
The Commonwealth Casino Commission will hold a hearing on five enforcement actions to decide the fate of the company’s exclusive casino licence.
Northern Mariana Islands.- The future of Imperial Pacific International could be defined on May 3 when the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) holds a hearing on five enforcement actions that seek the permanent revocation of its exclusive casino licence, which has already been suspended indefinitely.
The hearing was confirmed by Edward DeLeon Guerrero, Commonwealth Casino Commission board chair. It will be held at the CCC’s conference room. In October 2021, Andrew Yeom, CCC’s executive director, filed five complaints against Imperial Pacific International seeking to revoke the operator’s exclusive casino licence.
According to Yeom, IPI violated five orders:
- Failure to pay its US$3.1m annual regulatory fee in 2020.
- Failure to comply with an order to settle debts with vendors.
- Failure to fulfil minimum capital requirements.
- Failure to pay its annual US$15.5m casino licence fee in 2020.
- Failure to contribute US$20m to the community benefit fund on two occasions in 2018 and 2019.
Deleon Guerrero has requested that the CCC’s executive director and IPI a list of any stipulations they may have regarding the charges and any settlement for tomorrow (April 22). Both parties will also have to share a complete list of all witnesses, a list of evidence, and any other materials that could be relevant to the hearing.
CNMI Court orders payment of legal fees for 7 workers who sued IPI
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona has awarded $687,793.70 in legal fees to seven workers who were employed by former IPI contractors and subcontractors, MCC International and Gold Mantis. The workers filed a lawsuit against the companies in December 2018.
In March 2019, amendment proceedings were filed against MCC International Saipan Ltd. Co. and IPI as defendants also added a forced labour charge under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.
In a previous order, the federal court entered a default judgment in favour of the plaintiffs for $5,430,595.58, plus post-judgment interest and attorney fees of $5,915,595.98. IPI submitted an application for review, which was dismissed by the Federal Court and subsequently appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
