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Cui surrenders copy of phone records
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Posted on Apr 14 2021
Cui Li Jie, president of Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., which is the parent company of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC, has given the court a copy of her phone records, in accordance with a court order that directed her to preserve all her phone records.
According to a declaration from Cui’s lawyer, Juan Lizama, and her translator, How-Yo Chi, that was filed yesterday, IPI’s information technology staff Rick Brien and Brandon Benson were able to make a forensic copy of Cui’s cell phone, including all WeChat data—as well as other email accounts, messaging accounts, or other Electronically Stored Information, or ESI., that she has used—and has submitted the copy to the U.S. District Court for the NMI.
This was in response to a directive that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Ramona Manglona issued to Cui last March 26 to make forensic evidence of any and all cell phones that she used in 2020, including data from her WeChat account, email accounts, messaging accounts, or other ESI.
It was lawyer Aaron Halegua who filed the motion requesting that the court to issue an order requiring Cui to make a forensic copy of her cell phone, saying that, unless the court issues the order, the data will likely be lost forever and result in irreparable harm to plaintiffs. Halegua is one of two lawyers who represent seven construction workers who are suing IPI and its former contractor and subcontractor, MCC International and Gold Mantis, over labor and human trafficking allegations. The other lawyer is Bruce Berline.
The plaintiffs are Tianming Wang, Dong Han, Yongjun Meng, Liangcai Sun, Youli Wang, Qingchun Xu, and Duxin Yan. They have asked the federal court to issue an order awarding them $3.86 million in compensatory damages and $7.72 million in punitive damages.
The plaintiffs have already reached a settlement agreement with MCC International and Gold Mantis, co-defendants in the case.
