IMPERIAL Pacific International LLC is still waiting for the Chinese Embassy to approve flights to China for the repatriation of Chinese citizens previously employed by the Saipan casino investor, attorney Michael Dotts stated in IPI’s 26th status report to the federal court.
He said the target travel dates are the end of July or early August.
He added that a “couple of former employees were repatriated to the Philippines during the reporting period, but no major repatriations of former employees took place.”
According to Dotts, no payroll was due during the reporting period (July 6 to July 12), adding that IPI’s next payroll is due on July 16, 2021 (Payroll 15).
He said no settlement payments were due during the reporting period. “The next settlement payment is due on August 1,” he added.
As for employee housing and food, “there is nothing new to report,” the lawyer said.
Construction work at the Imperial Pacific Resort in Garapan remains suspended as ordered by the court, he said.
On March 23, 2021, IPI and the U.S. Department of Labor requested the court to modify the April 11, 2019 consent judgment through a stipulation.
The total amount owed under the consent judgment was $3.36 million.
According to the stipulation of the parties, IPI paid a total of $1,929,425.28 toward the consent judgment from March 2019 to March 2021. The remaining balance from the previous consent judgment was $1,430,574 plus $47,856 wages owed for a total amount of $1,478,430.
IPI was ordered to make incremental monthly payments of $164,270.08 from April 1, 2021 to Dec. 1, 2021, for a total amount of $1,478,430.72.
To date IPI has made a payment of $657,080.32 from April 2021 to July 2021.
“IPI believes that the parties have [also] made progress toward resolving the amount still owed to IPI’s employees which is in addition to what is covered by the settlement payments, and IPI hopes to have this issue fully resolved soon,” Dotts said.
The amended judgment also requires the casino investor to file weekly status updates regarding its progress in purging contempt and making payments.
