A session of the trial between Wynn Macau and former gaming executive Rogelio Yusi Bangsil Jr was held in the Court of First Instance on Friday. During the proceedings, a witness from Wynn Macau’s legal department was called to testify.
Bangsil is suing Wynn Macau for what he describes as the unlawful and “wrongful” disclosure of his personal data to authorities outside Macau, which subsequently tarnished his professional integrity and damaged his career.
Bangsil, a former executive at Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), a state-owned gaming company and casino regulator, was named in a report commissioned by a U.S. law firm in 2011, regarding an improper relationship between Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada and gaming officials from the Philippines.
The report, produced under the leadership of former FBI director Louis Freeh, alleged that Okada had made MOP880,000 worth of unlawful payments and gifts to some 17 people, including Bangsil and his wife, to curry favor with gaming regulators. The gifts reportedly included hotel stays in Macau and Las Vegas.
According to the witness, Okada had also invited the 17 individuals, including Bangsil’s boss, to Macau as his guests while he cultivated businesses in the Philippines.
However, Bangsil requested to conceal his boss’s identity upon their arrival at Wynn Macau. This drew the attention of Wynn Macau staff, who requested his boss’s identity in order to comply with Wynn guidelines.
According to the witness, Wynn Macau is unable to enter into benefit-related transactions with officials under investigation, such as Bangsil and his boss.
During the trial, the witness said that Okada’s secretary had requested Wynn Macau to partially absorb some of the expenses of Bangsil, his boss and fellow guests while in Macau. However, Wynn Macau issued instructions banning staff from doing so.
The witness claimed to be unaware of Wynn Macau disclosing the guests’ personal information to the U.S. law firm, and said he was shocked to learn about the existence of their report, which involved Bangsil.
He admitted he “did not know where” the law firm gathered the information from, and that it “did not share the plan” with Wynn Macau. The witness said that he and his colleagues “had no idea” that the information would be used outside Macau. JZ
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