The Saipan Chamber of Commerce declined to comment when asked about the possible impact of the controversy on the CNMI’s struggling economy.
In a separate interview, the manager of Healing Stone Yu Yu Massage in Garapan is not sure if Fitial paid for the services of their former masseuse Qingmei Cheng when the governor requested for her services.
“We don’t know anything [about the massage at the governor’s residence] because [Cheng] was already at Corrections,” said the massage parlor’s manager, Tony.
“We are surprised to learn about the incident,” he added.
In a statement released to the Variety on Friday, Fitial said Cheng’s “fees were paid through the company she worked for.”
Variety learned that Cheng was employed by Yu Yu Massage under a one-year contact starting on March 2009 for a $4.55 per hour rate.
“She is a very good masseuse. She has many local customers,” said Nikki, a former supervisor of Cheng.
She added that Cheng is a legitimate guest worker.
Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said the people should “let the federal court take its own course.”
The former governor added, “At this time, there is nothing we can do because the federal government is investigating the matter. I’m not planning to conduct an investigation through a public hearing.”
He said the matter “is not within [the Legislature’s] jurisdiction but within the responsibility of the executive branch of the government through the Attorney General’s Office.”
Regarding the calls for the governor’s impeachment, Tenorio said: “Let the federal court decide first on what really happened. It’s too premature for the people to call for an impeachment.”
He added, “We don’t want to jump into conclusions. Let the federal court decide and we’ll take off from there.”
But he said he will ask the House counsel to conduct a research on what CNMI statutes Fitial might have violated when the governor “requested” for the delivery of a federal detainee to his residence.
Tenorio said he will bring the matter to his colleagues during their “leadership meetings.”
The House leadership is aligned with the governor’s party.
When the Variety visited Yu Yu Massage yesterday, Tony confirmed that Cheng was employed at their spa until after she was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Enforcement Service agency on the morning of Jan. 5, together with other 23 Chinese nationals who attempted to enter Guam from the CNMI on a boat.
Healing Stone Yu Yu Massage is managed by Tang Investment Inc., according to the permit displayed at the front desk.
