Clear Management plans bulk sale of IPI gaming equipment
The court-appointed receiver plans to hold a negotiated sale of Imperial Pacific International property after its sixth auction.
Northern Mariana Islands.- Clear Management has informed Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona that it intends to hold a negotiated bulk sale of Imperial Pacific International (IPI)’s remaining property, subject to court approval. The sale would be held after the sixth auction of gaming equipment scheduled for August or early September.
Meanwhile, Judge Manglona has granted the receiver’s motion for expense reimbursement, despite objections from IPI. The judge instructed the parties to meet and discuss the procedural process for IPI to submit claims, suggesting a potential evidentiary hearing during the week of July 10.
IPI, represented by attorney Samuel Salyer, had opposed Clear Management’s request for expenses to be dispersed, accusing the company of causing damage to the casino’s tile flooring by operating a forklift without following proper safety protocols.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) board chair Edward C. DeLeon Guerrero says arbitrator Thomas J. Brewer has yet to deliver a decision following the three-day arbitration with Imperial Pacific International in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the gaming industry in Saipan and the islands as a whole, potentially deciding the future of IPI’s exclusive casino licence. The legal dispute surrounds the ability of IPI to fulfil the financial obligations of its Casino Licence Agreement. It was brought before the US District Court for the NMI after IPI appealed against its licence suspension.
