Ng Lap Seng, center, leaves federal court with attorney Benjamin Brafman, left, following his release on bail in connection with a U.N. bribery scheme
Local billionaire and real estate developer Ng Lap Seng has now declined to go to trial immediately amid setbacks currently being faced at his companies, reports the South China Morning Post.
Ng’s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, did not disclose his reason behind withdrawing the request to go to immediate trial, but filed a letter to the federal court in Manhattan on Monday announcing the change of intention.
Brafman also indicated that Ng would now seek to have a trial held separately from some or all of the other defendants accused in the case, according to the SCMP.
The casino magnate stands accused of bribing the former president of the United Nations General Assembly, John Ashe, who allegedly received more than USD1.3 million in bribes to support Chinese business interests in the U.N. and Antigua.
On December 10, Brafman had requested a speedy trial, claiming that Ng’s absence from his business in Macau was causing “irreparable damage” and “substantial setbacks.” Ng Lap Seng is currently being detained in New York under house arrest.
“It’s not fair. We’re asking for an immediate trial,” Brafman said last month.
The request contradicted the statements made by Ng’s business partner and board member of the Sun Kian Yip group, William Kuan, who told TDM in October that the group would be unaffected by Ng’s detention, as he “has not directly participated in the company’s operations for the past few years.”
Ng is specifically accused of having conspired to pay Ashe USD500,000 in exchange for supporting the construction of a U.N.-sponsored “South-South Cooperation” conference center. It is rumored the construction was to be built in the MSAR by local businesses with ties to the Macau billionaire.
He is also being investigated for a seemingly unrelated case, in which he has been accused of lying about the purpose of an estimated USD4.5 million brought into the U.S. over the course of several years.
Ng’s assistant, Jeff Yin, is also being detained over accusations of failing to disclose the true intent behind the imported money.
Ng, Ashe, and Yin have all pleaded not guilty to the charges presented against them. Staff reporter
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