The CNMI government has filed lawsuits against seven stores on Saipan for allegedly selling expired items without displaying notices.
The Saipan tribune reports Assistant attorney general, Michael Ernest, has asked the Superior Court to order the respondents to pay penalties not to exceed 2,500 US dollars for each violation of the Consumer Protection Act, attorney's fees, and court costs.
He also asked the court to issue an injunction preventing the stores and its owners and agents from violating the Act.
Mr Ernest stated in the complaint that, except for one, six stores were found selling expired items with no indications that the prices were reduced to or below half of their original retail price.
He said the items were listed as regular price and not marked as expired.
In another incident, items were being sold at prices higher than their advertised price, while one store was caught selling soda that were originally purchased from the military store.
A hardware store was also caught selling items that had no price tags or a sign containing the items' prices.