IPI workers expect to be paid on Friday

IPI says employees will receive two paychecks on Friday (September 9).

Northern Mariana Islands.- Imperial Pacific International seems to be planning to catch up on wage payments owed to its remaining employees on Friday (September 9). An IPI employee has told Mariana’s Variety the company has promised that workers will receive two paychecks. Employees weren’t paid as scheduled on August 26

IPI has 14 remaining employees, including seven security guards at its unfinished hotel in Saipan and administrative staff at Sadog Tasi.

In August it, some of the casino operator’s security staff stopped reporting for work due to payroll delays. One guard had said he was working almost 24 hours a day to protect IPI’s casinos, luxury villas and unfinished hotel complex due to staff shortages.

The security guard added that IPI’s warehouses in Tanapag, San Antonio and Lower Base no longer have their own security staff and had hired the services of a Bangladeshi-owned security agency.  

In May, IPI reported it had signed a memorandum of agreement with South Korea’s IH Group to secure funding to help it reopen its casino in Garapan and pay some of its obligations, including payroll and outstanding payables to vendors.

However, so far there has been no news regarding the agreement between the companies although IH Group chairman Kyunam Kim said they were still “carefully reviewing” the agreement.

Sale of IPI assets still pending court approval

Chief Justice Ramona Manglona had ordered Clear Management to proceed with its auction of IPI assets on August 30. However, the sale remains pending as Manglona has yet to approve the items that will be put up for sale.

The court previously found that IPI violated a stay agreement on the sale by failing to come up with an agreed appeal bond for the judgement in a lawsuit filed by USA Fanter Corp. The plaintiffs therefore sought to lift the stay so that IPI’s gaming equipment could be sold to satisfy their judgment against IPI.

A status conference on the matter will be scheduled sometime in September.