A Paranaque court has ordered the arrest of Japanese gambling magnate Kazuo Okada and partners for allegedly siphoning money from Okada Manila during their takeover of the integrated casino resort last year.
Paranaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 presiding judge Regina Paz A. Ramos-Chavez ordered the issuance of the warrants of arrest against Kazuo Okada, Antonio O. Cojuangco, Dindo Espeleta and 10 others for qualified theft.
Chavez has denied their motion to suspend or defer the criminal proceedings against all of the accused, explaining that an appeal before the Department of Justice Secretary does not hold in abeyance the proceeding before the trial court pursuant to National Prosecution Service Rule on Appeal.
Kazuo and his partners were accused by Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the operator of the integrated resort and casino at the Entertainment City in Paranaque, of qualified theft after allegedly siphoning P500 million from the casino cage of Okada Manila in 2022.
Kazuo Okada and the other accused filed separate motions to suspend the court proceedings for the qualified theft cases and to quash the case.
The Paranaque court denied the motions and proceeded with the case, explaining “there is probable cause for the issuance of warrant of arrest against all the accused … The counter-allegations of the accused, being evidentiary in nature, are best threshed-out in a full-blown trial,” the court order read.
The Kazuo group operated the $3.3 billion integrated resort and casino for months since its takeover in late May when Tiger Resort seized back management in early September.
Okada was arrested by local policemen in October in relation to grave coercion cases lodged against him by the board of Tiger Resort.
“I insisted on coming back to the Philippines despite several warnings from my lawyers that I may be detained by the authorities. I want to show to the Filipino people and the world that I am not afraid. I came back to face this grave coercion charge against me and my associates. I have nothing to fear when I know I am standing on the right side of the law. I will not bow down to intimidation, and I will not back-off from this legal battle. This fight isn’t over,” Kazuo said.
