Maha Devi squatters have until next Wednesday to leave Niue

Pacific Radio News/July 24, 2007

Auckland 6am: The sorry saga of the group of Americans who ran up a $400,000 bill in Niue, may be coming to an end. The group are about to be moved on at last, with local officials saying they've had enough.

The Americans arrived more than a year ago, talking up plans of a chain of lifestyle resorts in Niue and the Pacific, but were soon exposed as belonging to the cult, Maha Devi.

Some locals wanted them to stay, in the hope they'd bring dollars to the cash-strapped economy.

In fact, premier Young Vivian went to lengths to patch things up with the group after local businesses exposed them for running up huge unpaid debts for food and other items.

Officials seem to have now conceded that the group has got ... or had ... the better of them.

Immigration and Finance Minister, Fisa Pihigia, told Pacific Radio News that he won't be renewing their visas when they expire next Wednesday, August 1.

Pihigia says it's time the group moved on and that's what he expects them to do. (listen)

The Minister conceded, too, that he still hadn't met the group, and that they remained closeted at the Matavai Resort, where they'd taken the best rooms. (listen)

The Americans originally told Government, who is a part owner of the Matavai, that they were interested in buying the resort.

It's understood locals and the hotel are still owed more than a $100,000.