Imperial Pacific International Remains Headless Once Again

Article by : Helen Jan 25, 2021

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Updated: Mar 20, 2022

At this point, it would be rather weird not to hear any scandal news related to Imperial Pacific International. With IPI being under fire for not covering court-ordered payments, no wonder its management tries to get away with it. Donald Browne, who was previously working as the head of security at Imperial Palace Pacific, agreed to become the CEO of the outrageous company in July 2020. He knew well what he was signing up for, but he accepted the offer without hesitation. He was forced to accept the position, as the regulators required IPI to appoint the head, so Browne knew that his tenure would not be long-lived. Now, half a year later, the company remains without a boss again after Browne reveals that he resigned in December 2020 without any official announcement.

According to Browne’s statement to the US Department of Labor, he stepped down on December 22. The announcement came as the company is still under fire for breaching its workforce contracts with major construction contractors. Besides, IPI also has to cover massive obligations in license fees and salaries.

My resignation was to be effective two weeks later, on December 17. However, I extended my term to December 22 so that I could represent IPI at one last Commonwealth Casino Commission public hearing.

Browne’s resignation could be a decent attempt to avoid being brought to justice and facing possible fines and even jail time. Anyway, despite claiming that he did not receive his back pay or salary, Browne didn’t cut all ties, so his IPI leadership may lead to some negative consequences. Of course, Browne was to be commended for his attempts to resolve the company’s problems, but his loyalty could cost him much one day.

The US Department of Labor is only one of many regulatory bodies and facilities watching after what IPI is doing. According to the federal agency, the company’s inability to pay off its debts and pay salaries is the so-called “humanitarian crisis,” which may eventually cause much bigger troubles. Besides, IPI was caught for cooperating with some China-based construction entities known for using unauthorized construction workers, thereby aggravating the situation.

The thread of violations where IPI was involved can be extended by a Chinese corporation Gold Mantis Construction Decoration (CNMI) LLC. The latter was held responsible for not sharing with the court documents related to its cooperation with Imperial Palace. Seven construction workers – Youli Wang, Qingchun Xu, Yongjun Meng, Tianming Wang, Dong Han, Liangcai Sun, and Duxin Yan – sued Gold Mantis and IPI for multiple labor violations. The representative of Aaron Halegua of the Aaron Halegua, the off-island-based law firm, said in its statement that the companies were involved in not ensuring safe work conditions, providing unauthorized work permits, and even human trafficking. Later, it was reported that Gold Mantis managed to reach an agreement with the seven workers and was in the final stages of executing what it promised to them.

MCC International Saipan is another Chinese constructor company that is also accused of using criminal labor practices while working on Grand Mariana Casino Hotel and Resort’s construction. The investigation is still in progress, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office asks anyone who has any information related to this matter to get in touch with its office. So, depending on how things go, all the related documents may lead to the case against Imperial Pacific International, calling into question its ability to hold a gambling license.