“The lawsuit…will drive away the anchor of investors that we have in the CNMI,” Fitial said in an interview.
He said Kumho Holdings, the company that owns Saipan Laulau, is not only bringing in condominium investments that will enhance CNMI as a tourist destination, but is also bringing in tourist dollars.
“They transport tourists from Asia to the CNMI, and we don’t want to drive the Airlines out of the CNMI when we are in a devastating…economy,” Fitial said.
He added that the lawsuit will only create a negative impact on the economy.
“I want to see who can produce that $16 million in income that they are saying the CNMI have lost from the lease agreement [with Kumho],” he said.
The governor added that the complainants are “counting on chicks that are not yet hatched.”
“This is non-sense, and it’s stupid to be talking about something that does not exist,” Fitial added.
He said he has already asked the Attorney General’s Office to handle the case.
On Monday, taxpayers Ramon M. San Nicolas, Vicente C. Aldan, Tarsicio Olopai and Juan M. Deleon Guerrero filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against Fitial, DPL and Del Rosario.
The plaintiffs are asking the Superior Court to revoke the government’s lease agreement with Saipan Laulau Development Inc.
The plaintiffs, through their counsel, former Judge Edward Manibusan, want the court to declare the lease agreement signed on Dec. 6, 2007 on the 1.6 million square meters property in Kagman null and void.
They said the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the people of the CNMI by leasing a public property for longer than the allowable 40 years at a low rate that will cost the commonwealth $16 million.
DPL leased the property for $4,120,080.
The plaintiffs said the lease agreement between Saipan Laulau and the government runs from 1989 to 2047, a period of 58 years.
On a lighter note, Fitial, who is celebrating his 63rd birthday today, said his only wish is for the people of the CNMI to continue praying for him so he would have more strength to lead the battle against all the evils of society.
