By Rey Panaligan
The Department of Justice (DOJ) was informed Sunday that Kazuo Okada, then chief executive officer of Okada Manila owner Tiger Resort Leisure & Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI), has been arrested in Hong Kong (HK) by the operatives of the region’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (Czar Dancel / MANILA BULLETIN)
A DOJ report stated that Okada was arrested with a certain Li Jian for alleged conspiracy to defraud the HK-registered company, Okada Holdings, of 135 million Yuan, about $19.7 million.
Li Jiam, reportedly a director of New Games Corporation, allegedly received one million Yuan from Okada.
Okada has a standing lookout bulletin order (LBO) issued by the DOJ which is investigating the $10 million esfafa cases filed against him by the majority holders of TRLEI.
HK’s ICAC investigates corruption cases in the administrative region against public officials and private individuals who are involved in corruption cases.
Okada’s arrest was published by Chinese tabloid Headline Daily in its Aug. 1, 2018 issue and the news on the arrest was carried by Online networks in Hong Kong, the DOJ report stated.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra had ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the premature release of a resolution by the Parañaque City prosecutors office on the dismissal of the two charges against Okada.
“The premature disclosure of orders and resolutions prior to official release is not allowed unless there are compelling reasons that would sufficiently justify the same,” Guevarra said.
The DOJ has assumed jurisdiction over the reinvestigation of the complaints against Okada acting on the motion filed by TRLEI.TRLEI accused Okada of illegal disbursement of company funds amounting to $3.1 million supposedly for his consultancy fees and salaries during his one-month tenure as CEO through his accomplice Takahiro Usui, then TRLEI president.
He was also charged with illegal disbursement of $7 million for the purchase of light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures to Okada Manila through his personal company.