Overview

• Paul and Christy Akeo filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County last week against Palace Elite Resorts and CEO José Gibrán Chapur Dájer, seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial.
• The complaint alleges defamation, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, duress, and emotional distress stemming from a dispute over 13 credit card charges totaling $116,587 that card issuers reversed in 2022.
• Mexican authorities arrested the couple on March 4 at Cancun International Airport on fraud allegations, and they were held about 32 days in a Quintana Roo maximum-security facility under harsh conditions and separated from each other.
• The Akeos say they were released only after signing a settlement with a nondisclosure clause and arbitration terms under duress, and AP reports the agreement included donating the disputed $116,587.84 to a Mexican nonprofit.
• Palace Resorts, which has initiated arbitration in Vancouver, rejects the lawsuit’s claims and says prior disputes were resolved, adding it will defend against the suit and seek to enforce its rights.