John O’Neil, who is currently the executive chairman of Star Entertainment, should have taken part in the ongoing probe into the gambling company’s suitability to keep its Sydney casino licence but his appearance has been delayed.
The spokesperson for the NSW Department of Enterprise Investment and Trade confirmed that the probe was delayed, as Mr O’Neil was supposed to appear at the inquiry on Monday but the hearing was broken off and adjourned until Tuesday, until later being postponed until May 23rd. They, however, refused to cite the reasons why the delay had occurred.
The probe was adjourned on May 13th, following Sally Pitkin’s breakdown when asked what, in her opinion, went wrong at the Australian gambling giant. At the time, Ms Pitkin confirmed that the company’s executives and higher management had been indifferent to money laundering because they had failed to understand the harm occurring from it.
Lately, Star Entertainment has faced allegations of misconduct, including knowingly and intentionally masking gambling transactions with Chinese customers’ CUP debit cards as accommodation expenses, as well as setting up a secret gambling room with Suncity – a foreign junket operator known for its links to criminal organisations.
As confirmed, hearings are expected to resume in the following week, with evidence from Richard Sheppard, a Star Entertainment director, and John O’Neil, the company’s executive chairman, set to be followed by closing submissions from the review’s assisting counsel.
Several Directors of the Australian Gambling Giant Step Down from Their Board Positions
As Casino Guardian already reported, the gambling regulatory body of New South Wales (NSW) is currently investigating Star Entertainment after a number of media reports have claimed that the Australian gambling giant did nothing to prevent organised crime, money laundering, fraud and other forms of foreign interference from taking part in its venues.
So far, the damning evidence given as part of the probe has triggered some resignations within Star Entertainment. Matt Bekier, CEO of the Australian gambling company, Harry Theodore, Star’s CFO, Greg Hawkins, the chief casino officer, and Paula Martin, the chief legal and risk officer of the company have stepped downs from their roles in Star Entertainment as a result from the scandalous allegations. Mr Bekier’s departure from the company took place with immediate effect following an official statement.
Many of the gambling operator’s directors are also expected to file their resignations after testimony of poor management – a move that would pave the way for renewal among the company’s executives. Gerard Bradley and Sally Pitkin from the Board of Directors have unveiled their intention to resign.
In April 2022, John O’Neill, who formerly headed the Australian Rugby Union, was appointed as interim executive chairman of Star Entertainment following the resignation of Mr Matt Bekier. He is the last witness that would take part in the hearing schedule of the inquiry that has been questioning the casino operator’s top management since mid-March.
- Author
Olivia Cole
