Seven Chinese construction workers, who were subjected to forced labour while working on a Northern Marianas casino-resort project, have been awarded $US 5.91-million in a court judgment.
Court awards $5.43M in damages to casino construction workers
By Steve Limtiaco
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A federal judge in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday awarded $5.43 million in damages to seven Chinese construction workers who had been hired to build the Imperial Palace casino, on Saipan.
The men, who said they were recruited from China under false pretenses, said they were victims of human trafficking, subjected to forced labor, and were injured at the worksite. They also had sued the contractors who employed them – Gold Mantis Construction Decoration and MCC International Saipan – but settled with those companies, and those complaints were dismissed.
Inside the Imperial Pacific Casino in Saipan, CNMI. 30 September 2019.
Photo: Imperial Pacific Casino
The embattled Northern Marianas casino operator Imperial Pacific has reached a deal that will ensure its assets are not sold off.
It has to make nine payments to the U.S. Department of Labor for a total of $US1.4 million by December.
Under a deal suspending its receivership in the U.S. District Court for the NMI, the Saipan casino will have to pay $164,270 a month until December.
The company must also pay more than $US2 million in outstanding wages and overtime going back five years, restore workers housing and put money into an escrow account to protect future employees.
Inside the Imperial Pacific Casino in Saipan, CNMI. 30 September 2019.
Photo: Imperial Pacific Casino
This comes amid the company being in receivership with moves underway to sell its assets to pay off a judgment in a separate case.
The US District Court for the Northern Marianas found the chair of Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd, Cui Li Jie, in contempt for failure to comply with a subpoena relating to a lawsuit filed by workers of a former sub-contractor.
Cui had been ordered to pay from her personal accounts, including attorney fees for time and costs associated with preparing depositions on 5 February.
A casino operator in the Northern Marianas, Imperial Pacific International, will be forced to sell off its assets if it fails to pay the more than $US 1.2 million it owes by the beginning of March.
The U.S. District Court for the NMI has ordered the company to pay outstanding wages to 136 former employees from 2016 and 2017.
Inside the Imperial Pacific Casino in Saipan, CNMI. 30 September 2019.
Photo: Imperial Pacific Casino
In the event IPI doesn t come up with the funds, a receivership will be set up that will sell off IPI assets.
IPI has so far made a payment of $US233,000 to the U.S. Department of Labor, of which $US36,000 went to underpaid workers.