Previous Story
Retirees group wants Fund’s lawsuit moved to federal court
|
Posted on Sep 09 2011
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
The Commonwealth Retirement Association wants the NMI Retirement Fund’s lawsuit against the CNMI government to be removed from the Superior Court and transferred to the federal court.
CRA, through its board member Sapuro Rayphand, filed yesterday a notice of removal in the U.S. District Court for the NMI.
Rayphand as intervenor in the case stated that it has been more than two years now since Superior Court associate judge Kenneth L. Govendo rendered a $230 million judgment in the case.
Since then, there has been little, if any, meaningful steps toward enforcement of that judgment, Rayphand said.
The Fund filed the lawsuit in 2006 against the government, Gov. Benigno Fitial, Department of Finance, and then Finance Secretary Eloy Inos over the government’s failure to remit required payments.
In June 2009, Govendo ruled that the government owes the Fund $231.6 million in damages and that the law suspending government contributions to the Fund is unconstitutional.
In February 2011, the damages of the Fund reportedly increased to $317 million from the original $231 million.
