Operator News
Saipan – Imperial Pacific ends legal dispute with construction partner
By Phil - 2 November 2017
The owners of the Imperial Pacific Resort project in Saipan has decided to settle out of court with its construction partner Mace Limited, who petitioned the High Court of Hong Kong claiming the company had failed to pay fees worth HK$2.6m.
Imperial had initially issued statements saying it would fight the claims in court but has since backtracked and said it would pay the monies owed.
Mace will submit an application to the High Court of Hong Kong for withdrawal of the filed winding-up petition.
The soft opening of Imperial Pacific Resort took place in July but only the lobby and sections of the casino are currently open due to a series of delays. Phase I will not now be complete until 2023 with Phase II following five years later.
Imperial Pacific had initially said: “To the best of the board’s knowledge, information and belief, since Mace Limited failed to provide satisfactory service and related evidence of service in accordance with the agreement, recovering construction management fees unreasonably, the company has refused to pay such fees and is seeking independent legal advice to dispute the claims. If the company pays the HK$2.6m construction management fees the petition will be dismissed, however the board considers that this commercial dispute does not constitute grounds for a winding-up petition and it is believed that the court will make a just decision.”
