IH GROUP, the South Korean company that signed a $150 million investment agreement with Imperial Pacific International, said the remarks made by Precinct 1 House candidate Vincent “Kobre” Seman Aldan during the Commonwealth Casino Commission meeting on Thursday were false.
Imperial Pacific International board adviser Hongtao Su, left, accompanies IH Group Chairman Kyunam Kim during a tour of the IPI casino and unfinished hotel tower in Garapan.
In a statement to Variety on Monday, IH Group said it wants to apologize to the commission for Aldan’s “false statements” regarding the company.
“In this investment venture between IH Group and IPI, IH Group’s investment funds have already been verified through the procedures confirmed by IPI. IH Group is in the process of mutual confirmation and coordination regarding the vital consultation between the two companies for the implementation of the IPI Group investment,” IH Group said.
The company said Aldan’s remarks about IH Group’s website “are remarks that defame IH Group’s reputation….” The company said these “are nothing more than slander, expressing an individual’s opinion without an accurate confirmation process.”
“Such slander against the IH Group will have an impact on the business pursued by IH Group and cause economic loss,” IH Group said. They hope that from now on, “no one, including Mr. Aldan, will publish unverified false facts about IH group.” Or else, IH group said it will take strong legal action.
“We intend to sue for damages in the event of disruption to the business process due to the dissemination of false information. However, IH Group always wants to become a company that contributes to the economic development with CNMI citizens rather than confrontation and conflict,” IH Group said.
In an interview, Aldan said if IH Group can show him the 28-story hotel that its website claimed IH Group built on Rota, then he will retract his statement.
He added that if IH Group can show him the international airport that it claimed on its website that it also built on Rota, and that it was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, then he will retract his statement.
As of 3 p.m. on Monday, IH Group’s website was “Down For Maintenance.”
In February 2016, IH Group announced it would construct a casino and hotel on Rota with a price tag of $10 billion. The plans would take 10 years to come to fruition, IH Group said.
