Levo Chan Weng Lin, former boss of now-defunct Macau casino junket Tak Chun Group, and four other defendants have been ordered to pay just under HKD779.7 million (US$99.3 million) to the Macau government and five of the city’s six casino operators. The decision followed their sentencing for a number of crimes, including fraud.
On Friday, a Macau court sentenced Mr Chan to 14 years in prison in aggregate. The court said that a criminal association charge had been proven against Mr Chan and several other defendants.
Other charges proven against Mr Chan were: illicit gambling, encompassing operation of illicit gambling in authorised venues; as well as fraud.
Four other defendants were convicted on Friday on various charges. Two were each sentenced to prison terms of 10 years; one received 11 years, and the other, seven years. Four defendants were acquitted of all charges.
The verdict stated that the under-the-table-bet operation conducted by Mr Chan and some of the other defendants was a swindle on the Macau government and the city’s six casino operators.
It stated that Mr Chan and other four defendants would have to pay circa HKD575.2 million to the Macau government as a way of compensation, and would also have to compensate five of the city’s six casino firms.
It was alleged during the trial that started in December last year, that those indicted had run a criminal syndicate that produced illicit profits of at least HKD1.50 billion over nearly six years. During the trial, Mr Chan had denied any wrongdoing.
Five of the city’s six casino operators were also complainants in the case, via their locally-incorporated subsidiaries.
In Friday’s decision, the court said the five defendants would have to pay respectively: nearly HKD81.2 million to Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd; just under HKD47.0 million to Sands China Ltd; HKD36.8 million to Wynn Macau Ltd; HKD35.6 million to SJM Holdings Ltd; and HKD3.8million to MGM China Holdings Ltd.
On January 18, another former Macau junket boss – Alvin Chau Cheok Wa – who headed now-defunct Suncity Group Ltd, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in aggregate. The prosecution and the defence have respectively appealed against Mr Chau’s sentence.
Mr Chau and six other defendants in that case have been ordered to pay over HKD8.67 billion to the Macau government and a number of the city’s casino operators.
