A former employee of Suncity Group’s accounting department testified in court that the company linked to “betting under the table” activities belonged to Suncity and that CEO Alvin Chau was involved.
Of the 21 defendants in the case against Suncity, 10 have already appeared in court and completed their defense. On Thursday, witnesses appeared to give their evidence. The prosecution exhibited a number of conversations involving the witnesses and questioned each of them individually.
One witness said that the fifth defendant, Cheong Chi Kin, was the owner of the betting under the table companies and that staff of these two companies were paid by the accounting department of Suncity.
Ms Ip, who worked as a director in the accounting department of Suncity, said accounting department staff would assist the two betting under the table companies in calculating the payroll of their employees and that their payroll would be paid Suncity Gaming Promotion Co Ltd. after the payroll was processed, the betting under the table companies would then return their money to the accounting department of Suncity.
Ip also mentioned that the whole process was to assist the betting under the table companies in making the payroll, and that afterwards, Cheong would give additional remuneration to the staff in the accounting department of Suncity.
After the witness gave evidence, Alvin Chau said to the judge, “I have questions for[Ip].”
The judge instructed that Chau only ask questions to the witness through his lawyer. His lawyer asked Ip, “Who did you help by paying the payroll for the betting under the table companies? Did Suncity Group pay the payroll to the betting under the table companies? Did Chau know the accounting department received additional remuneration?”
Ip said, “The payroll was to help Cheung Chi Kin, and since the accounting department would receive the money from the betting under the table companies after the payroll, it means Suncity did not pay the betting under the table companies.” She said she did not know whether or not Alvin Chau knew they were being paid.
When another witness, Ms Lau, also an employee of Suncity’s accounting department, was asked about the ownership of a betting under the table company, she initially remained silent and refused to answer. However, after the prosecution warned her, she responded “[The company] belongs to Suncity … Alvin Chau is involved.”
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