Philippines authorities arrested Japanese gaming mogul Kazuo Okada on Monday just moments after he landed at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
According to details released by the Tiger Resort Asia Ltd (TRAL)-backed board of Okada Manila operator Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc (TRLEI) – and later confirmed by police – Mr Okada was detained at 5.40am on Monday morning in relation to grave coercion charges lodged against him.
He later posted bail.
His arrest relates to the 31 May incident in which a group representing him stormed Okada Manila and forcibly took control of the property in response to a Status Que Ante Order (SQAO) issued by the Supreme Court of the Philippines ordering the TRLEI board be temporarily restored to its status prior to Mr Okada’s ousting in 2017.
The Okada group occupied Okada Manila for three months before the Department of Justice ruled that the SQAO did not give him the right to seize control, leading to the TRAL-backed board reclaiming the property in early September.
The Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) of Paranaque Branch 90 and Branch 91 later issued warrants of arrest against Mr Okada, Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco, Dindo Espeleta and lawyer Florentino “Binky” Herrera on 11 October after the TRAL-backed board pressed charges.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Mr Okada said he had returned to Manila in spite of warnings not to do so.
“I insisted on coming back to the Philippines despite several warnings from my lawyers that I may be detained by the authorities,” he said.
“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 am confident that the legal process within the Philippine courts system will vindicate us in all the cases filed against me and my business associates. The DOJ legal panel has already dismissed for lack of merit the six other charges of kidnapping, unjust vexation, falsification of public documents, direct assault, slight physical injuries, and serious illegal detention.
“Today, I will post bail for my temporary freedom. I have given my instructions to my legal team to avail of all legal remedies to ensure that those who fooled and robbed me in Okada Manila be sent to jail for their lies, deceit and usurping operational control of Okada Manila.”
The TRAL-backed board said Tuesday that charges had been filed against Mr Okada and his group because they had prevented the legitimnate members of the board from performing their duties.
It added that Mr Okada remains temporarily part of the TRLEI board because the company has complied with the SQAO pending the resolution of the intra-corporate dispute in the Supreme Court.
“We are grateful to the Philippine authorities for their swift arrest of Kazuo Okada,” said TRAL director, Kenshi Asano.
“We will continue to work with the law enforcement units to bring Kazuo Okada to justice, as we have done in the past in other jurisdictions. As we wrap things up in fixing the mess that The Kazuo Okada Group brought to Okada Manila, we are optimistic that the intra corporate dispute will soon be resolved by the Philippine courts.”
