USA Fanter Corp., IPI submit lists of potential witnesses in defamation suit

Construction firm USA Fanter Corp. and Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC have both filed their initial disclosures on May 25 in the U.S. District Court for the NMI as part of the proceedings in USA Fanter’s defamation lawsuit against IPI.

USA Fanter originally filed a complaint against IPI on Feb. 24, 2020, with then USA Fanter lawyer Samuel I. Mok citing an allegedly libelous and defamatory press release that IPI published in local newspapers on Dec.19, 2019.

After multiple lawyer substitutions by both parties since 2020, USA Fanter is now represented by Colin M. Thompson and IPI by Tiberius D. Mocanu from the Law Offices of Stephen Nutting LLC.

According to a legal definition found online, an “initial disclosure” is a requirement under the federal law that requires both parties to make known (1) the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of persons likely to have relevant and discoverable information, (2) a copy or description of all relevant documents, data compilations, and tangible items in the party’s possession, custody, or control, (3) a damages computation, and (4) any relevant insurance agreements.

USA Fanter submitted six individuals who are “likely to have discoverable information”: USA Fanter president Guocao Qian, USA Fanter consultant Antonio Muna, Saipan Tribune editor Jayvee Vallejera, Marianas Variety reporter Emmanuel Erediano, IPI onsite engineer Harry Wong, and IPI chief financial officer Ed Chen.

IPI submitted seven: IPI executive vice president Eric Poon, author of Saipan Tribune’s Dec. 19, 2019 press release “John Doe,” Erediano, Michael Ernest, who is lawyer for the executive director of the Commonwealth Casino Commission, CCC chair Edward Deleon Guerrero, USA Fanter president Qian, and IPI engineer Harry Wong.

The contentious Dec. 19, 2019 press release appears to have been removed from both Saipan Tribune and Marianas Variety’s online archives. An article in the Saipan Tribune archives that was published on Dec. 20 2019, states that USA Fanter “strongly denies all falsehoods alleged by the IPI statement” and finds all of IPI’s accusations “ridiculous.” The author then listed the alleged facts surrounding USA Fanter’s previous dealings with IPI and IPI’s failure to pay for a contracted project in full.