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OAG explains why govt still wants to fine Castle Projects
The government plans to still impose fines on a company that owns a renovated former garment factory in Tanapag for occupying a building prior to obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the Department of Public Works.
That’s how acting DPW Building Safety official Casiano M. Bostre explained it, as stated by his lawyer, assistant attorney general Matthew Pugh.
Castle Projects (CNMI) LLC had already obtained a certificate of occupancy from DPW but it was for only one of the renovated buildings.
In response to Saipan Tribune’s inquiry, Pugh said the fines are for violations of the Commonwealth Building Safety Code.
Fines can range from a minimum of $10 per day to a maximum of $500 per day, but cannot exceed a total amount of $10,000 or 1 percent of the total value of the project, whichever is greater.
Pugh did not give further comments.
Pugh informed the Superior Court about the government’s position to fine Castle Projects during a status conference last week.
This prompted Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio to refer the case to mediation.
Castle Projects owns the former Top Fashion Garment that housed construction workers, including illegal aliens, for Imperial Pacific International LLC’s resort/casino project in Garapan.
Michael Dotts, the lawyer for Castle Projects, told Saipan Tribune last week that the company had, in fact, applied for the permit before Bostre filed the case, and then quickly obtained the permit.
For these reasons, Dotts said, there should not be any fine, but they will see what the government has to say when they go to mediation.
Bostre filed a court action early this year against Castle Projects for allegedly housing a number of construction workers at the renovated building despite two notices of violation issued by DPW.
Dotts earlier disclosed that the U.S. government allowed Castle Projects to let illegal aliens live in their housing for humanitarian reasons.
