Okada, partners plead not guilty to charges stemming from casino-resort takeover

Gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada and his business partners pleaded not guilty to criminal charges of grave coercion before a Parañaque Metropolitan Trial Court (METC) his camp said Friday.

The charges stemmed from the alleged takeover of the Okada Manila on May 31.

According to his camp, Okada, Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco, Dindo Espeleta, and lawyer Florentino Herrera III entered a plea of not guilty during the arraignment before the Parañaque METC Branch 91.

“Kazuo Okada and his group reiterate that they will face the allegation in a just and very honest way and fight until full justice is obtained,” Atty. Rico Quicho, Okada’s official spokesperson, said in a statement.

“The group remains confident that these grave coercion cases will be dismissed for utter failure of the prosecution to prove its charges with the quantum of evidence required in criminal cases, which is proof beyond reasonable doubt,” he added.

In September, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) ordered the Cojuangco group to cease and desist from running Okada Manila.

Meanwhile, Okada was nabbed on October 18 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 after he landed from Haneda, Japan. He immediately posted bail.

Okada once led Okada Manila as chief executive officer of its operator Tiger Resorts before he was ousted in 2017 due to allegations of misappropriating $3 million.

The 44-hectare Okada Manila, located beside Manila Bay, features 993 suites and villas, 500 table games, and 3,000 electronic gaming machines. It is among the four multi-billion dollar casino-resorts operating in the capital. — DVM, GMA News