Modular Extensions - HMVC version 5.2

[eluser]bEz[/eluser]

Local Server (xampp 1.7.0 -- may upgrade to 1.7.1)
PHP 5.2.8, Apache 2.2.11

Remote Server
PHP 5.2.9, Apache 2.2.11

Both servers use:
CI 1.7.1
ME 5.2.01

The problem is that the local server runs the CI app without error.
However, the remote server was just upgraded to Apache 2.2 and now Modular Extensions fails as such

Code:

Fatal error: Class 'CI' not found in .../applications/libraries/Controller.php on line 6:

and Controller.php has not been touched.

Code:

3 | /* load the modules library */
4 | require_once 'Modules.php';
5 | /* create the CI application object */
6 | CI::$app = new CI();

I also utilize the datamapper library (DMZ edition).
I tried commenting out any use of

Code:

$this->CI =& get_instance();

in the models create, but that did not resolve the fatal error.

Anyone experience this error?