Tiger Resort wants new probe into $10-M estafa claims vs. Kazuo Okada

Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI) has appealed for a new preliminary investigation into its $10-million estafa claims against gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada.

TRLEI, in two separate motions, prodded the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct a new preliminary probe into the matter, or reserve the resolutions issued by the Parañaque City Prosecutor's Office, which effectively dismissed the cases.

In its motions, the Okada Manila operator cited the "leakage" of unreleased resolutions, which the company claimed was in connection with Parañaque City Prosecutor Amerhassan Paudac.

"The premature leakage, followed by the apparent ‘rush to release’ the assailed resolutions, coupled with the wrongful dispositions and resolution of these cases, are indicative of Paudac’s feared undue interest in the instant cases and which not only violate due process… but are grave administrative offenses," the company said.

TRLEI has since requested the DOJ to penalize Paudac for supposedly leaking parts of the unreleased resolutions.

In May, the company also called on Paudac to recuse himself from the estafa cases filed against Okada for supposed bias and gross partiality.

"With due respect, the leaked assailed resolution(s) itself is the smoking gun that something irregular happened in the Office of the City Prosecutor of Paranaque City, headed by Paudac," TRLEI explained.

Under the first case filed against Okada, TRLEI said the gaming tycoon illegally disbursed company funds amounting to $3.1 million, supposedly for consultancy fees and salaries as CEO of the company from which he was booted out in June 2017.

The disbursements were said to have been carried out through Okada's alleged accomplice Takahiro Usui, former president and COO of TRLEI.

Meanwhile, the second estafa case alleges that a $7-million supply contract was given to Aruze Philippines Manufacturing Inc. (APMI) which is also owned by Okada.

The contract was supposedly given to AMPI upon instructions of Okada and in alleged conspiracy with former TRLEI chief technology officer Kengo Takeda.

"Complainant respectfully submits that the instant case is a golden opportunity for this Honorable Department to correct a grave injustice committed against complainant, perpetrated by respondents, and seemingly abetted by the OCP Paranaque," the company said. — BM, GMA News