Gaming kingpin Kazuo Okada and former Okada executive Takahiro Usui have vowed to fight back against allegations that they defrauded one of Okada’s Philippine-based companies of $US3 million. The two have been charged with three counts of “estafa.” If convicted they could end up behind bars.
According to a statement issued on behalf of the men, they “will vigorously defend themselves against these baseless accusations and shall continue to avail themselves of legal remedies by first filing a motion for reconsideration, and if it is denied, a petition for certiorari with the Court of Appeals of the Philippines.”
In January, the Philippine Department of Justice ordered the arrests following a complaint by Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the promoter of casino resort Okada Manila, a casino resort in Manila’s Entertainment City that was named for the billionaire businessman. Tiger Resort is controlled by Japanese conglomerate Universal Entertainment Corp., and Okada owned them all before he was forced out in 2017.
On May 17 a judge in a regional trial court in Parañaque, Metro Manila, reaffirmed the decision to order the arrests of Okada and Usui.
Attorneys for the defendants claim a judge in the matter showed “pre-judgement” and “partiality” for dismissing an earlier attempt to get the arrest warrants quashed.
“Mr. Okada is responsible for the investment of more than US$2 billion in Okada Manila, which bears his name,” the statement said. “It is therefore absurd for him to defraud, or conspire to defraud, his own company for a measly US$3 million.”
Okada and Usui remain at large and are believed to be outside the Philippines, reported Asia Gaming Brief.
