The trial of nine defendants from former junket operator Tak Chun in the Court of First Instance (TJB) started yesterday with only the now defunct company’s ex-boss, Levo Chan Weng Lin, attending the hearing.
A statement by the court pointed out that Chan is the only one of the nine defendants who has been remanded in custody. The other eight defendants chose not to be in the dock yesterday.
Nevertheless, the three-judge panel decided to get the trial, which had been adjourned once because of the absence of defendants, off the ground as scheduled.
Chan and his fellow defendants stand accused of a range of serious crimes such as having been part of a criminal and secret organisations, illegal gambling in legal gaming venues (casinos’ so-called VIP rooms), large-scale fraud, money laundering, and usury.
Legal sources have told The Macau Post Daily that the case involves alleged parallel and proxy gambling in casino VIP rooms.
The defendants also face a civil case involving four gaming operators (Wynn Resorts (Macau), SJM Resorts, Venetian Macau, MGM Grand Paradise) concerning the non-payment of HK$575 million in gross gaming revenue taxes, according to yesterday’s statement by the court.
