SAIPAN – Legislators in the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands have been accused of corruption following the awarding of a controversial casino licence in Saipan.
A provisional licence has been granted to Hong Kong-based Best Sunshine International, and will be formalised with a development agreement between the company and the CNMI’s Lottery Commission.
A formal tender process for the licence began after casino and gaming legislation was passed in March.
But citizens concerned by the legislation say enough signatures had been gathered calling for either changes or a repeal of the bill that should have halted the bidding process.
Russell Schow, from the Marianas Economic Research and Development Foundation, is part of the initiative calling for a review of the legislation.
He says legislators repealed the bill and rushed through a re-named version to avoid the initiative.
“Really, what we’re suspecting is public corruption,” Mr Schow told Pacific Beat.
