Former construction team leader sues IPI

Jess Aquiningoc resigned as IPI’s construction team leader earlier this month after claiming the company refused to pay part of his salary.

Northern Mariana Islands.- Jess Aquiningoc, the former head of Imperial Pacific International’s construction team, is suing the company for its failure to pay money owed. Aquiningoc resigned from IPI almost a month ago over the non payment.

Hy says IPI owes him US$4,700 in paid time off that he accumulated over the past two years but that the company paid him only $2,500 before he resigned. He said he had to borrow money and go into debt with family and friends as a result.

He said the company had asked him not to speak to the media but that he had to do so to make visible the damage caused. IPI has faced complaints from many sides for non-payment of money owed, be it form workers and suppliers or the Commonwealth Casino Commission, which has filed five complaints against the operator and is seeking to revoke permanently revokeits exclusive casino licence over non-payment of its fees.

Earlier this week, the US Marshals Service seized funds from IPI in order to satisfy a court judgement in favour of Red Coral Corp. The company had sued the casino operator for failing to pay leases on a 20-unit apartment complex between January 2019 and August 2019.