Crown Resorts Executive Chairman John Alexander batted away questions about recent scandals engulfing the Australian business, saying that the claims made by three major news outlets in the country were “sensationalist” and “unproven”.
The comments, made at the company’s annual general meeting last week, come in reaction to allegations that the company partnered with junket operators with links to drug traffickers as Crown sought to bring higher-roller Chinese gamblers to its Australian casinos.
First reported by the Age and The Sydney Morning Herald newspapers, along with the 60 Minutes television program, one of the institutions reportedly linked to Crown was known simply as “The Company”, an organized crime conglomerate run by triad bosses who allegedly used Crown-linked bank accounts and VIP rooms to launder money.
The allegations have been vehemently denied by Crown.
“There have been a number of sensationalist and unproven claims made, with many focused on allegations from over five years ago. Let me be clear — Crown does not tolerate any illegal activity by its employees or its patrons,” he said in Thursday’s meeting, according to Australia’s public broadcaster ABC.
The Crown chairman shut down the few questions at the meeting concerning the allegations, instead blaming “interests and activists” with an “anti-Crown agenda,” according to ABC.
Crown Resorts is currently being investigated by three federal regulators and the watchdogs in each Australian state it has a physical presence in. DB
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