A corporate general counsel at The Star Entertainment has given emotional evidence during the ongoing inquiry into the operations of the casino company, saying that he should have done more to prevent a Chinese junket operator allegedly linked to criminal organisations from initiating illegal cash transactions at the Star Sydney casino.
On April 7th, The Star Entertainment’s top lawyer Oliver White gave evidence to the ongoing probe, revealing that the Australian casino giant had a culture favouring business objectives over legislative and regulatory compliance.
Mr White faced questions about the private gaming room Salon 95 that was operated by Suncity in the Star Sydney casino. The inquiry has heard that the Macau-based junket operator had allegedly been linked to criminal organisations in Asia and other junkets specialising in luring affluent Chinese residents to Australian casinos.
According to previous reports, Suncity allegedly operated a cash service desk for the customers of Salon 95 without actually holding a licence to do so, with bundles of cash having been handled by the gaming room’s staff members in violation of the country’s money-laundering legislation.
At yesterday’s hearing, Oliver White said that he feels he should have done more in order to prevent illegal cash transactions by the Macau junket operator in Salon 95. He further shared that he could not specifically remember having escalated the matter to his superiors but, in his opinion, everyone had been aware of the situation.
Junket Operator Suncity Have Been Given Access to Salon 95, Report Shows
The ongoing probe in Star Sydney casino heard that Suncity involved a few criminal enterprises, although the lines of the business were diverse enough to make sure such operations were well hidden in legitimate businesses that are harder to trace.
The evidence gathered as part of the investigation also claims that Suncity was founded by Alvin Chau, who is allegedly a member of the Macau faction of the 14K Triad, a Chinese criminal organisation. Cheng Ting Kong, a member of the 14K Triad society in Hong Kong, was pointed out as the major business partner of Mr Chau. According to intelligence sources, Mr Cheng was linked to illegal bookmaking, large-scale money-laundering activities, and also drug trafficking.
The counsel assisting the inquiry, Naomi Sharp, SC, noted it did not seem to her that anything changed at The Star Sydney soon after the damning report was received. The corporate general counsel of the Australian gambling giant was unable to recall the reaction to the report.
So far, the investigation into The Star Entertainment has heard that the Macau-based junket operator has been having access to a private gaming room at The Star Sydney since 2016. Suncity’s relationship with the casino continued for 4 years, until October 2020, although the junket operator was forced to leave Salon 95 in August 2019.
The gambling regulatory body of New South Wales (NSW) needs to review all casino operating licences in the state every 5 years. The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) started holding public hearings in its latest review of the suitability of The Star Entertainment to continue holding the operating permit for its Sydney casino on March 17th. The allegations that the casino giant allowed foreign interference with the operation of its Australian casinos, had links with foreign criminal organisations and facilitated money laundering and large-scale fraud emerged after a joint investigation held by a number of local media hubs, including The Sydney Morning Herald, 60 Minutes and The Age.
- Author
Olivia Cole
