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3 TCGCC commissioners OK’d to keep posts for now
Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman has issued a temporary injunction keeping the position of three commissioners of the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission until further court’s order.
At a hearing last week at the Tinian Superior Court, Wiseman also issued an order prohibiting any other government body/official from taking actions to remove TCGCC chair Mathew Masga, vice chair Bernadita Palacios, and commissioner Lydia Barcinas.
Saipan Tribune learned that Wiseman did not yet rule on the underlying legal dispute involving the individual commissioners about when terms for members of the commission begin.
The judge also did not rule yet on other motions filed by both parties.
Masga, Palacios, and Barcinas, through counsel Claire Kelleher-Smith, are suing Tinian Mayor Joey San Nicolas, treasurer Charlene Lizama and the Tinian Municipality after San Nicolas asserted that the commissioners’ terms had already expired and that he would appoint three new commissioners.
Kelleher-Smith told Saipan Tribune that this would make all five commissioners appointees of San Nicolas.
She said the mayor’s announcement was made the day after Masga refused the mayor’s request to get rid of the commission’s executive director, Lucia Blanco-Maratita.
In her letter in June to Masga, Lizama, stated that Masga, Palacios, and Barcinas have all expired terms and that three commissions seats are vacant. Lizama said that compensation for the three would be discontinued as of June 24, 2015.
Saipan Tribune tried to get comments from San Nicolas but he has yet to reply as of press time.
