The Commonwealth Casino Commission in the Northern Mariana Islands has asked the Superior Court to lift a temporary restraining order that blocks information said to show that Imperial Pacific International owes millions of dollars to the commonwealth.
Citing confidentiality of the tax info, IPI says it would suffer “immediate, irreparable injury” if the documents are disclosed, according to a report in Asia Gaming Brief. The cache includes a 27-page audit report from Ernst & Young said to show the company owes the CNMI government $33 million in 2017 corporate income tax and $5 million in 2018 business gross receipt taxes. IPI also owes vendors a total of $35 million.
House Minority Leader Edwin Propst submitted the report to the House on Monday, the reports said.
In other IPI news, a group of seven Chinese workers may proceed with a lawsuit against the company, which they charge with negligence and alleged forced labor. The workers say they were compelled to work long hours for less than minimum wage under extremely dangerous conditions at the casino worksite, the Saipan Tribune reports.
