Macau’s Court of Second Instance has partially upheld an appeal by former Suncity Group CEO Alvin Chau and other Suncity employees but has not reduced their prison sentences and has tripled the amount of compensation they must pay for money laundering offences to HK$25 billion (US$3.2 billion).
The ruling, issued Friday, relates to Chau and fellow convicted Si Tou Chi Hou, Ali Celestino, Cheong Chi Kin, Chau Chun Hee, Lou Seak Fong, Philip Wong Pak Ling and Leong Su Weng.
According to the court, a previous ruling that Suncity had deceived and caused losses to the Macau SAR and to its concessionaires through their “betting under the table” activities was not regarded as a res judicata fact, and therefore acquitted all defendants on the charge of fraud. As a result, the defendants will no longer be required to pay almost HK$8.6 billion (US$1.1 billion) in compensation – comprising HK$6.5 billion (US$831 million) to the government and HK$2.08 billion (US$266 million) to concessionaires – owing under the original fraud charge.
However, the court said Suncity had earned HK$17.66 billion (US$2.26 billion) from its betting under the table activities and another HK$7.21 billion (US$921 million) from online betting, while Chau, Philip Wong and another defendant Cheung Ling Ling had obtained at least HK$617 million (US$79 million) and RMB17 million (US$2.3 million) in profits in what was described as a money laundering operation.
As a result of the upgraded money laundering charges, Chau’s 18-year prison sentence has not changed, nor has Wong’s sentence of 12 years and six months.
The Court also ruled that the accused must pay to the Macau SAR the sum of the aforesaid amounts on a joint and several basis. After preliminary calculation, the group must now pay HK$25 billion in compensation to the Macau SAR Government.
The accused can still appeal to the Court of Final Appeal if they wish.
