Defense attorneys for Alvin Chau say there’s no evidence the former Suncity junket head engaged in illegal betting, and moreover, had no financial motive to do so.
According to Asia Gaming Brief, Chau’s defenders say the sheer volume of Suncity’s legit business made proxy bets and other illegal options unnecessary as well as risky.
Prosecutors claim that Suncity raked in HK$21 billion ($2.68 billion) from illegal bets over eight years due to the proxy betting syndicate. Chau’s legal team says that amount (which breaks down to about $335 million per year) is insignificant compared to Suncity’s legal business, which generated HK18 billion ($2.3 billion) to HK$20 billion ($2.56 billion) annually from Macau’s six gaming concessionaires.
In addition, as reported by Macau Business, Suncity’s rolling turnover actually exceeded that of gaming operators, with the junket contributing more than MOP300 billion ($38.41 billion) in gaming taxes during that period.
Chau’s defense also pointed to testimony by members of Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), who said they were unaware of illicit activities in VIP rooms run by Suncity at Macau casinos.
According to AGB, the prosecution case centers on files seized from Suncity’s server which suggest some 60,000 proxy bets were allegedly carried out by a syndicate run by Chau in 229 VIP rooms. Chau’s defense team countered that the Judiciary Police didn’t even investigate whether the bets took place, and said Suncity only ran 21 of those rooms.
Lead defense attorney Leong Hon Man asked why a company with “huge income” like Suncity would need illicit gains from under-the-table betting, reports GGRAsia. The gains would have been minimal compared to the commission income the group earned.
The idea of such a criminal motive was ” illogical, which we hope the court will consider,” the attorney said.
Chau and 20 other defendants face charges of illegal gaming, criminal association, fraud and money laundering. Chau is also charged with leading a criminal group. Closing arguments in the case began last Tuesday.
