In their response to Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Velma Palacios, who asked the commission to hold IPI accountable for violations of rules, Commission Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero and Executive Director Andrew Yeom said five complaints have been filed against IPI this year for violations of laws, regulations and commission orders.
Among the complaints filed against IPI, Deleon Guerrero said, is the casino operator’s inability or unwillingness to timely pay its employees and settle in full its payables to all vendors, including manpower and construction agencies, among others.
He said the commission is setting up the process to conduct administrative hearings on all five complaints against IPI.
This process, he added, is required by the law and the Administrative Procedures Act, which grants the commission the authority to impose sanctions should it be required.
The sanctions may include regulatory suspension of the gaming license and/or revocation of its casino license when appropriate.
Deleon Guerrero also informed the chamber that IPI has chosen to contest all of the complaints and presently enjoys the presumption that it is not responsible for any violations.
IPI Chief Executive Officer Donald Browne, for his part, has said: “It’s easy to pick on businesses when they’re struggling. We are not giving up without doing everything we can to ensure our existence and the existence of all businesses in the CNMI.”
