3 Jun 2014

Investor says lawsuit against Fiji casino developer last resort

2:03 pm on 3 June 2014

A Native American tribe says it has filed a law suit against the developer of Fiji's first ever casino project as a last resort.

The government announced in December 2011 its decision to grant an exclusive casino licence to the American corporation, One Hundred Sands, in partnership with the Snoqualmie Tribe.

Construction on Denarau Island near Nadi, was expected to start in 2012 but a change in location and challenges in securing funding set the $155 million US dollar project back.

Following the delays, the Snoqualmie Tribe pulled out of the deal after investing 1.5 million US dollars.

The Chairwoman of the tribe Carolyn Lubenau says they just want to recover their investment but after trying for months to get hold of the developers they've heard nothing.

She says they've given Once Hundred Sands plenty of opportunities to respond and filing the law suit is their only option.