ATTORNEY Michael Dotts told the federal court that progress has been made in repatriating Imperial Pacific International’s Mongolian construction workers.
He said IPI, which he represents, is hopeful that the employees can return to their home country in early May.
Construction work at the IPI casino-resort site remains suspended as ordered by the court, Dotts added.
In IPI’s 14th status report filed with the District Court for the NMI on Monday, Dotts said, “IPI employee housing still has power. Food services have continued without interruption for all IPI H-2B workers.”
IPI’s next payday (payroll 9) is April 23, he added.
Dotts also informed the court that the Bank of Guam has requested until April 30 to produce documents sought by a subpoena served to BOG for copies of cancelled checks issued by IPI to its employees.
This is in relation to the recently approved amended consent judgment between IPI and the U.S. Department of Labor to assure that checks to IPI’s employees have cleared.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona earlier ordered IPI and IPI chairwoman Cui Li Jie to purge their contempt of court by paying $1,182,793 owed as back wages under the 2019 consent judgment or go into receivership.
On March 29, 2021, the judge approved the first amended consent judgment between IPI and USDOL, thereby suspending the previously ordered receivership for the casino developer.
The first amended consent judgment allows IPI 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.
Dotts said IPI has already remitted its first payment amounting to $164,270.08 for April 2021.
As to the security against future payroll violations, the USDOL stated that IPI paid $250,000 on Feb. 28, 2021 to be used as security for the payment of wages.
IPI has also offered its Flame Tree Terrace property, which it owns through an affiliate, East Gain Global Ltd., as security for its monetary liability of $1,478,430.72.
