IPI faces another lawsuit for breach of contract
Kan Pacific Saipan is demanding a jury trial in a lawsuit against IPI for breach of contract and unpaid fees dating back to June 2019.
Northern Mariana Islands.- Imperial Pacific International is facing another legal issue. Kan Pacific Saipan Ltd has now filed a lawsuit in Federal Court alleging that IPI failed to pay the company, violating the agreement they reached in May 2016.
The company’s lawyer Joseph Iacopino said that IPI still needs to make annual payments due June 2020 and June 2021, which amount to more than US$400,000. Kan Pacific wants a jury trial and hopes that the court will order IPI to pay damages, arrears, legal costs, pre-judgment interest, and other relief that the court deems appropriate.
In July, Kan Pacific Saipan Ltd’s complaint against IPI was dismissed without prejudice by the Court Associate Judge Wesley Bogdan. IPI asked the court to dismiss the case because Kan Pacific failed to join an indispensable party, the CNMI Department of Public Lands (DPL).
IPI argued that the Department of Public Lands is a third-party beneficiary to the contract in dispute and that DPL was indispensable to resolving the suit because it had additional facts and evidence needed to fully determine any liability.
The agreement between Kan Pacific was essentially to transfer all of Kan Pacific’s assets and business to IPI, and required Kan Pacific to encourage existing employees to join IPI.
According to Saipan Tribune, Iacopino said: “Kan Pacific sent IPI more than 10 days’ notice of such default.
“IPI has nevertheless continued to refrain from tendering any portion of such payment or any other amount that has become due and owing thereafter, including the annual payment that became due and owing on June 1. 2021.”
CCC seeks immediate revocation of IPI casino licence
Andrew Yeom, CCC’s executive director, has called for Imperial Pacific International’s (IPI) gaming licence to be permanently revoked. He says IPI failed to comply with CCC’s final order in four enforcement actions that were entered over five months ago.
Imperial Pacific International’s (IPI) gaming licence has already been suspended indefinitely as the operator failed to comply with regulatory orders.
The Commonwealth Casino Commission board ordered IPI to pay a penalty of US$6.6m, an annual casino exclusive licence fee of US$15.5m and annual casino regulatory fees of US$3.1m.
Yeom said: “Unfortunately, the very violations that triggered the suspension are still mounting while IPI has done nothing to indicate any willingness to come into compliance with the aforementioned final order.”
