IPI director says it’s frustrating to get blame for missing liquor
Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC director/general manager Howyo Chi said it is frustrating that they get the blame for the missing bottles of liquor at the IPI’s resort/casino facility when they don’t have the key for the vault where the bottles of liquors were stored.
In response to Commonwealth Casino Commission board chair Edward C. DeLeon Guerrero’s question during the board’s monthly meeting last Thursday, Chi said the casino/resort building still has 24-hour security as they provide two to three security guards at all times.
Deleon Guerrero said there’s a lot of public outcry to put somebody from IPI in jail.
Chi replied that he may have to resign if that’s the case.
Chi said limited receiver Clear Management has the key to the cabinet or vault where the bottles of liquor were stored.
He said majority of the liquor have been sold, but there are still some bottles of wine there.
The director said what happened was that Clear Management took out the bottles of wine from the liquor vault and left some bottles of McCallan whiskey at the casino lobby.
He said three or four days later, Clear Management noticed two bottles of McCallan were missing from where they left in the casino.
Chi said after they found out what happened, he asked Clear Management to secure all the liquors that they took out from the vault and secure it in their location.
He said Clear Management secured the bottles of liquor in a storage with their own lock and that IPI has not access to the lock.
Chi said one bottle of McCallan was worth $4,000 to $6,000 each.
He said after Clear Management secured the bottles of liquor in their own room in a separate room with their own lock, Clear Management then held an auction and sold majority of liquors.
Chi said when the winning bidder come to pick up the bottles of liquor, they found out that 17 bottles were missing.
“So now they’re saying oh, I should be thrown in jail because I did not secure the liquor, I did not provide enough security,” he said.
IPI creditor Joshua Gray has asked the federal court to order IPI and Chi to show cause why they should not be held in contempt for failing to comply with a court order to secure IPI’s personal property. Gray, through his counsel, said the bottles of McCallan whiskey were stolen around November or December 2023.
Gray said in February 2024, after IPI’s liquor had been auctioned, 17 bottles of Moutai—an expensive Chinese rice wine—were stolen from the casino.
Chi said it’s very frustrating because Clear Management is the only one that has access to the lock.
“We have no idea how 17 bottles of wine gone missing because it’s been locked by Clear Management the whole time,” he said.
Chi said IPI and him were told to reimburse the loss of the 17 bottles, which they claim to be worth $100,000.
He said not only that, but because of his alleged failure to provide the security Gray is asking him to be incarcerated. “So, this is what we’re facing,” Chi said.
He said the security guards have submitted an affidavit as they have no idea about the missing bottles of liquor because they have no access to the door.
Howyo Chi
