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CUC says a construction company’s $904,619 claim belongs to NMI govt
The Commonwealth Utility Corp. will defer a construction company’s $904,619 claim to the Attorney General’s Office, explaining that the original contract was with the local government and not the utilities company.
In May, TM Corp., through a representative, addressed the CUC board on what they say was a lack of compensation for a wastewater project that has been completed for years. The company said this has been on CUC’s backlog since 2001.
The board had tasked management to “get into the files” to verify if this claim is accurate.
However, after board meeting on Friday, CUC board chair Adelina Roberto explained that the appropriate authority for this claim was the OAG “because the contract is with the government, not with CUC.”
“So that’s why we are referring it back to the appropriate authority,” she added.
During the meeting, board member David Sablan motioned to defer TM Corp. to the attorney general for disposition on the matter.
Counsel James Sirok suggested that CUC send a transmittal letter to the OAG, with TM Corp. copied to the letter.
Roberto agreed, saying, “We don’t want to leave it not answered at all.”
The board approved Sablan’s motion.
Last month, former senator Pete Reyes told the board of TM Corp’s plight with this lack of compensation. Reyes, who was speaking on behalf of the firm’s president, Jae Buk Yoon, said the industrial company has not been successful in their multiple attempts to be compensated for their work.
Because of the lack of payment, T.M. Corp. could not continue and has since closed down since majority of their assets are tied to this project, Reyes said. The company’s president, a U.S. permanent resident and father of two, had no alternative but to close down, he said.
Executive director Alan Fletcher on Friday said the last time the company brought the claim before CUC was in 2007.
