Court confirms Tak Chun boss prison sentence, reduces fine

Nov 29, 2024 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  

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Macau’s Court of Final Appeal has confirmed the prison sentence of 13 years in aggregate for Levo Chan Weng Lin, former boss of now-defunct Macau casino junket operator Tak Chun Group.

The city’s top court however set at HKD1.83 billion (US$235.2 million) – a lower amount than ordered previously by a subordinate court – the money that Mr Chan (pictured in a file photo) and other defendants must pay as compensation for gains from “illicit gambling” operations, according to a ruling published on Thursday.

The Court of Final Appeal also confirmed in its adjudication the prison sentences of the other four defendants found guilty in the Tak Chun-related court process: nine years for Cherie Wong Pui Keng and Betty Cheong Sao Pek; 10 years for Wayne Lio Weng Hang; and seven years for Edward Lee Tat Chuen.

In its ruling, the top court dismissed the appeal by the Public Prosecutions Office, which sought higher prison sentences for the defendants. It also rejected the appeal from the five defendants, who wanted their jail time reduced.

In January this year, Macau’s Court of Second Instance reduced by one year – to 13 years in aggregate – the prison sentence for Mr Chan. Three other defendants also had their sentences reduced, while one other had his prison sentence confirmed.

At the time, Mr Chan and the four other defendants were acquitted of fraud charges, with the Court of Second Instance overruling a previous decision from the city’s Court of First Instance.

On Thursday, the Court of Final Appeal confirmed that a criminal association charge had been proven against the five defendants. Other charges confirmed included illicit gambling and money laundering.

The latest ruling on the case revoked the order from the Court of Second Instance for the defendants to pay collectively approximately HKD2.49 billion to the Macau government as a way of compensation for gains from “illicit gambling” operations.

Instead, said the top court, the five defendants have been ordered to pay nearly HKD1.63 billion for “illicit gains” obtained over the years. Mr Chan and two other defendants were also ordered to pay an additional HKD201.3-million compensation to the Macau government.

Mr Chan was arrested in January 2022, and he was first sentenced in April 2023. He and eight others accused had been charged with crimes including being members of a criminal organisation, illicit gambling operations, defrauding the Macau Special Administrative Region government and the city’s six casino concessionaires, and money laundering.

Of the other eight defendants, four were acquitted by the Court of First Instance.

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