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Aldan says over $250K from IPI CBF used to build Tinian slaughterhouse
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Posted on Sep 02 2020
Tinian Mayor Edwin P. Aldan said the over $250,000 from Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC’s Community Benefit Fund did not go to Commonwealth Casino Commission vice chair Ramon Dela Cruz for personal use, but was used to build a slaughterhouse on Tinian.
Speaking in an interview last week, Aldan said that NMI Democratic Party chair Nola K. Hix’s statement that Dela Cruz received IPI’s CBF money for personal use is not true because the fund went to the Tinian Cattleman’s Association to purchase the slaughterhouse.
“Now the slaughterhouse is about to be opened,” said the mayor in response to a statement to a Guam-based blogger last July 27 that former Tinian mayor Dela Cruz, who is one of the Saipan casino commissioners, was given $250,000 from the community benefit chest funds in 2018 or 2019 to form a cattle business.
“Not only he’s receiving a salary as a casino commissioner but he pocketed $250,000 for this cattle busines that does not exist,” Hix said. “Where is it? I was on Tinian lately. I did not see any cattle business going on over there.”
She said that makes her very angry because there is no casino on Tinian and Rota, yet the government continues to pay the casino commissioners on the two islands.
Aldan said the CBF money went to the Tinian Cattleman’s Association for the benefit of the community. He said the slaughterhouse is already built but it has yet to open because they want to make sure that they comply with all the requirements.
“Come down and say good things about the people of Tinian but don’t lie to them,” said Aldan in his message to Hix.
Sen. Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) stated early this year that once the slaughterhouse operations are established, the Tinian Slaughterhouse will have the capacity to process both cattle and pork in an efficient and sanitary manner.
Tinian leaders presented the Strategic Plan for the Tinian Beef Industry to the Tinian community last June.
