Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada is not fully in the clear in the Philippines despite the recent dismissal of embezzlement charges against him, reports the Philippine News Agency.
Officials were forced to dismiss the US$10 million case against Okada and several associates due to lack of probable cause and accusations of bias against the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office. But Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, the operator of Okada Manila in Entertainment City, can still file a motion for reconsideration or petition for review before the Department of Justice.
“If upon review the DOJ sees it differently, the resolutions may be set aside, reversed or modified accordingly,” Guevarra said.
According to GGRAsia, the National Bureau of Investigation plans to investigate the leaking of documents about the matter. The findings of the prosecutor’s office were posted online via the social media accounts of Okada’s girlfriend, Chloe Kim, before they were officially released. Tiger Resort is a subsidiary of Universal Entertainment Corp., which ousted Okada as a board member amid the allegations.
Parañaque City Prosecutor Amerhassan Paudac is believed to have leaked the documents.
“I understand that Prosecutor Paudac has inhibited himself so DOJ will handle any further motions or incidents in the Okada cases,” Justice Secretary Amenardo Guevarra told reporters.
Okada was kicked off the boards of both Universal and Tiger Resort last year amid accusations that he had embezzled more than US$10 million of the company’s money.
