A former officer of the Philippines gaming regulator has reportedly filed suit against Wynn Macau, disputing a 2011 report that said he and his wife benefited from an “improper relationship” between Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada and PAGCOR officials in 2008 and 2009, local media reports.
Rogelio Yusi Bangsil Jr., a onetime officer in charge of PAGCOR’s Gaming Department, was named along with his wife as two of 17 people who allegedly received more than US$110,000 in gifts and payments, including hotel nights in Macau and Las Vegas, reports the Macau Business Daily.
The report accused Okada of paying off Philippine gaming regulators, including two former chairmen of PAGCOR in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, reported the Asia Gaming Brief.
Bangsil protested the “wrongful” disclosure of his personal data to an authority outside Macau, and says it ruined his career. He told the Times he retired from PAGCOR “because of the damage to my integrity and my career. I’m claiming damages that I incurred because of the police report disclosing false information.
“I am seeking an apology from Wynn. I want them to recognize that they did something wrong,” he added. “They paid the MOP20,000 fine so they recognize they made a mistake, so why are they not apologizing to the victims?”
He said there is “no truth” to the report. “The allegations cut short my career and the whole family suffered because of that,” he said. “I want to be compensated for the damages they caused us, including my wife and my child.”
The report, conducted by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, caused U.S. casino titan Steve Wynn, once a close friend of Okada, to oust him from his company’s board, saying Okada was “unsuitable” to serve as director of the company. Okada was then forced to sell his Wynn Resorts shares for US$1.9 billion.
A hearing in Bangsil’s court action is scheduled for June 22.
