Prosecutors cite lack of evidence
Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada, founder of Universal Entertainment who was ousted from that company last year, has been cleared of charges of fraud and perjury in the Philippines. The charges were brought by a unit of Okada’s former company, Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., which operates the Okada Manila casino resort in Entertainment City.
Tiger Resort is controlled by Japanese conglomerate Universal Entertainment Corp., founded by Okada. Last June, he was bounced from the board amid allegations of “three acts of fraudulence,” all of which he denied. Prosecutors both in Parañaque City and Makati dropped the charges, filed by Tiger in January, which included two counts of alleged fraud by Okada and an allegation of perjury by Okada and an associate.
Makati prosecutors cited a lack of evidence in its dismissal of the case. Prosecutors in Parañaque City also dismissed Tiger Resort’s fraud charges, one related to alleged illegal disbursement of company funds by Okada and the second related to a supply contract awarded to Aruze Philippines Manufacturing Inc.
GGRAsia reports that the decision from the Parañaque City prosecutors was controversial because the resolution was leaked on social media before being officially published. Following the incident, Tiger Resort called last week for Parañaque City Prosecutor Amerhassan Paudac to recuse himself from the case, citing “bias and gross partiality.”
“Resolutions purportedly disposing the captioned cases in favor of respondent Okada have apparently been leaked as shown by the unlawful publication thereof in the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Okada’s close companion, Chloe Kim,” Tiger Resort said. The company added that it has a “factual and legal basis to believe that City Prosecutor Paudac is biased and partial in favor of respondent Okada to the grave prejudice of complainant Tiger Resort.”
