Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC claims a magazine story about a supposed federal raid at one of its offices is false and the company plans to counter with legal action at once.<\/p>\n
In response to Bloomberg Businessweek\u2019s March 14, 2018, story about U.S. federal agents and the Federal Bureau of Investigation raiding a \u201cSaipan office of Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd. last week,\u201d the IPI board, led by executive director Cai Lingli, said in a statement that after making all \u201creasonable inquiries,\u201d they have no knowledge of such a raid happening.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026The [board] hereby clarifies and confirms that there was no raid by U.S. agents on any of its offices, its casino, or buildings as erroneously reported by Bloomberg. Bloomberg has once again misrepresented facts about the [g]roup and the [b]oard shall take legal actions immediately,\u201d said a March 15, 2018 announcement by the IPI board.<\/p>\n
The statement was also sent to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.<\/p>\n
The statement reiterated that the Hong Kong-based company would be taking legal actions against Bloomberg. The company in late March 2018 issued a statement announcing they would be suing the magazine after they published a Feb. 15, 2018 story titled, \u201cA Chinese Casino Has Conquered a Piece of America,\u201d which alleged impropriety within the business operations as well as engaging in improper relationships with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and several of his family members, among many other allegations.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg had reported that besides seizing documents from the IPI office, the FBI also issued them a statement, along the lines of prioritizing public corruption, which the alleged FBI statement emphasized was at the top of their criminal investigative priority.<\/p>\n
\u201cElected or appointed officials are entrusted and expected to protect the interests of the people with integrity. When that trust is betrayed, the security and stability of our government is put at risk,\u201d reported Bloomberg on the reported FBI statement.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Commonwealth Casino Commission executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero, he said that IPI management on Saipan, including their legal counsel, denied reports of a raid done by federal agents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat article, according to IPI\u2019s legal team, is false,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that Bloomberg\u2019s claim that the CNMI government procures legal advice from the Torres Brothers law firm, which is managed and owned by the governor\u2019s brothers, is also false.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe [law firm] never provided legal [services] to the CNMI government. \u2026I don\u2019t know why they would say things like that, but\u2026[Bloomberg] should make sure that whatever they are printing is accurate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Deleon Guerrero said that, based on conversations with the IPI legal counsel, IPI was not aware of any raids or confiscation of documents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you do secure a search warrant, that becomes a public issue,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
FBI mum on Bloomberg article<\/p>\n
The FBI declined to confirm the Bloomberg story that its agents raided a Saipan office of Imperial Pacific last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot comment, or confirm the existence of investigations, or any specifics thereof,\u201d said FBI Honolulu Field Office spokesperson Michele Ernst in an email in response to Saipan Tribune\u2019s inquiry.<\/p>\n
Ernst reiterated the FBI\u2019s previous official comment that, as a matter of legal policy, the FBI does not comment on criminal investigations, to include confirming or denying cases, their status as ongoing or not.<\/p>\n
However, Ernst said, public corruption is the FBI\u2019s top criminal investigative priority and encouraged anyone with information about a potential violation of federal law to contact the FBI.<\/p>\n
Last year, federal agents raided an office of Imperial Pacific\u2019s subcontractor and subsequently arrested four persons on charges of harboring illegal aliens in connection with the construction of Imperial Pacific\u2019s casino and resort in Garapan, the Imperial Pacific Resort. (With Ferdie de la Torre)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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