Govt sues 7 defendants for HK$8.2 billion in unpaid gaming taxes
The trial of former Macau gaming junket magnate Alvin Chau Cheok Wa has been postponed to September 19, as just 10 of the 21 defendants appeared in court on Friday afternoon.
The high-profile trial began as scheduled but was formally postponed by the three-judge panel shortly after it had started because of the absence of one of the defendants, Philip Wong Pak Ling, who, according to his legal counsel, is currently hospitalised.
The government is also suing seven of the defendants, including Alvin Chau and Wong, in a case of joint and several liability for HK$8.2 million in unpaid gaming taxes, according to a statement by the Court of First Instance (TJB).
Alvin Chau was among those present in court.
Alvin Chau, born in Macau in 1974, headed the now defunct junket company Suncity Group.
Alvin Chau and six of his co-defendants have been remanded in custody since last November. He and the other 20 defendants separately face all or some of the following charges: money laundering, illicit gambling activities, serious fraud, and involvement in a criminal organisation.
According to the statement, Macau’s six gaming operators, i.e., its three concessionaires and three sub-concessionaires, and the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) are victims of the defendants’ serious fraud.
Four of Macau’s six gaming operators (Wynn, SJM, Venetian, and MGM) are joint plaintiffs in the case, claiming civil damages from seven of the defendants, including Alvin Chau and Wong, according to Friday’s statement by the Court of First Instance (TCB). Wynn claims 795.2 million patacas, SJM Resort claims HK$178.2 million and Venetian Macau claims HK$300.7 million, while MGM claims an amount still to be determined from the seven defendants as well as Sun City Promoção de Jogos-Sociedade Unipessoal Limitada, Si Tou Chi Hou, Ellute Cheung Yat Ping, Vincent Loi, Su Yiming, Pang Kexu and Dang Yonggang.
Lou Ieng Ha is the presiding judge. Several defence lawyers complained during Friday afternoon’s hearing for about an hour about the lack of space in the courtroom and other matters allegedly affecting their work. However, Lou insisted that the room is the largest one available for the Court of First Instance’s criminal division. She urged the lawyers to cooperate with the court. A total of 16 seats have been set aside for members of the public.
According to the Friday’s statement by the court, seven of the following defendants are remand prisoners: (Alvin) Chau Cheok Wa (his given foreign name “Alvin” is not mentioned in the statement), Si Tou Chi Hou, Ellute Cheung Yat Ping, Ali Celestino, Cheong Chi Kin, Chau Chun Hee, and Lou Seak Fong.
The statement identified the other defendants, who were previously released on their own recognisance or on bail, as follows: Philip Wong Pak Ling, Cheung Ling Seac, Ho Cheng I, Leong Su Weng, Vincent Loi, Au Wang Tong, Su Yiming, Su Chuhao, Su Jiarong, Lam Tsz Chi, Li Siu Chung, Pang Kexun, Dang Yonggang, and Zhou Yongjun.
Meanwhile, junket mogul Levo Chan Weng Lin, 49, who headed the now also defunct junket company Tak Chun, has been remanded in custody since January. He and his fellow defendants, who are slated to stand trial later this year, face similar charges.
Chau and Chan both face up to 20 years behind bars, legal sources have told The Macau Post Daily.
Suncity and Tak Chun were Macau’s largest junket operators.
According to gaming industry sources, some of the now defunct junket operators ran untaxed parallel betting (aka side betting) schemes that eroded both the government’s gaming tax receipts and the gross gaming revenues of some of Macau’s gaming concessionaires and sub-concessionaires.
