Ex-Rep. Ogo defends local shareholder of 2 Rota fishing firms

Former Rota representative Crispin Ogo has defended a local shareholder of two fishing companies who, with his wife, were subjected to a temporary restraining order that prevented them from contacting or attacking the new majority shareholder of the corporations.

Ogo told Saipan Tribune that Glenn Hocog Manglona is the acting president of Rota-based Northern Marianas Fisheries Inc. and Crystal Seas CNMI Inc. and not the reported majority shareholder, Rockford Lee Zietzke.

The former president of the two companies, Courtney Zietzke, who is the brother of Rockford Lee Zietzke, resigned as president of the corporations effective May 10, 2008, said Ogo.

The former lawmaker is the current operations manager of the two corporations.

He explained that because of the resignation, Manglona became the acting president, considering that no corporate meeting has been held.

“There’s never been any meeting called for the transfer or to at least call who will be the acting president of the companies,” Ogo noted.

At the same time, he said, a provision of the corporate bylaws specifically states that before any transfer of shares there shall be a regular or a specific meeting for that reason.

“And that never happened,” he said. “In my view, the entire issue here is basically an illegal transfer,” Ogo emphasized.

Ogo refused to comment on the threat issue.

In issuing the TRO, associate judge David A. Wiseman directed Manglona and his wife Elizabeth to stay at least 100 yards from the offices, equipment and documents of Northern Marianas Fisheries Inc. and Cystal Seas CNMI Inc., both located in Songsong, Rota, and to keep the same distance from the residence of Rockford Lee Zietzke.

Wiseman also ordered the Manglona couple to stay at least 100 yards away from the plant, equipment, and fishing vessels owned by the Northern Marianas Fisheries Inc. and Crystal Seas CNMI Inc., located near the airport on Rota.

According to court documents, Glenn Manglona is currently listed as the registered agent, director and the vice-president/secretary of both corporations. Elizabeth Manglona is listed as a minority shareholder of the corporations.

Wiseman said the TRO shall expire at the date of the hearing on May 27, 2008, unless extended by the court.

The Manglonas have been summoned to appear at the hearing to provide any legal reason why the injunction and TRO should not be granted.

Zietske, Northern Marianas Fisheries Inc. and Crystal Seas CNMI Inc., through counsel F. Matthew Smith, sought the injunction and TRO against the Manglona couple.

Smith said that on May 12, 2008, Courtney Zietzke, the president and majority shareholder of the corporations, resigned and assigned all of his shares and interests in the corporations to Rockford Lee Zietske.

On that same day, and in accordance with the laws and bylaws of the corporations, Rockford, as the 81 percent and 65 percent owner, noticed a meeting of the shareholders of each corporation for May 24, 2008 at 1pm and personally delivered a copy of the notice to the Manglonas on May 14, 2008, at 5:15pm at the Saipan Airport.

After receiving a majority interest in the corporations, Zietzke went to Rota to secure the plant and office of the corporations. New locks were installed.

While on Rota, Glenn Manglona failed to meet the majority owner as scheduled.

Smith said that Glenn Manglona instead attempted to interfere in the securing of the corporations assets by calling his friends on Rota to stop Zietzke from entering the corporations’ office.

On May 14, 2008, after returning to Saipan, Zietzke allegedly received an anonymous call from Rota and was told that Glenn Manglona was going to break in and destroy the corporations’ records and property.

Smith said that shortly after receiving the anonymous phone call at 10:30pm, Zietzke called Glenn Manglona.

The lawyer said that Glenn Manglona stated that he was going to knock the locks off that Zietzke had installed and that Glenn would break into the plant.

Smith said that Glenn Manglona also threatened to do bodily harm to the majority owner.