Cui ordered to save cell phone data

Cui Li Jie

The U.S. District Court for the NMI has ordered Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd. chair Cui Li Jie to make a forensic copy of her cell phone data.

Last Friday, March 26, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Ramona Manglona ordered Cui to make forensic evidence of any and all cell phones that she used in 2020. Manglona said this includes all data from her WeChat account, email accounts, messaging accounts, or other electronically stored information.

Manglona also ordered Cui’s lawyer, Juan T. Lizama, to file a certificate with the court that describes the search for any and all ESI data and details of ESI data that exists. ESI, or electronically stored information, refers to any type of information that is stored in digital form, and requires a computer or cellphone to access.

Additionally, Manglona said that Lizama has to declare that any and all forensic copy of any cellphones, including WeChat data, has been made and that all other ESI data has been preserved.

In granting a motion made by seven construction workers that are suing IPI, Manglona allowed the plaintiffs to have a consultant to verify that any ESI data, including the contents of the phone, were adequately preserved and that no data, particularly WeChat messages, was deleted.

Cui was also ordered by the court to retain the copies of any ESI data in Lizama’s possession until the court orders differently.

Manglona said the court deemed the plaintiffs’ motion is supported by many referenced to the record in not only this case but other cases against IPI.

The seven former workers, through lawyer Aaron Halegua, first filed a motion in the District Court to save evidence of Cui’s phone data last March 2.

Halegua said the seven workers believe that data in Cui’s phone will help get information that will be useful to their case.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, the seven plaintiffs are Tianming Wang, who is seeking $1,025,057 in total compensatory damages; Dong Han, $565,203; Liangcai Sun, $474,244; Yongjun Meng, $416,450; Quingchun Xu, $460,467; Youli Wang, $492,946; and Xiyang Du, $429,167.

In their petition in July 2, 2020, Halegua and Bruce Berline, another counsel for the plaintiffs, said Wang suffered a burnt leg, Han had a crushed finger, Sun had a severed finger, Meng had a burnt hand and leg, Xu had an inverted ankle, Youli Wang had a fractured finger, and Du had a crushed finger.