Current Okada-led officials have levied accusations of theft against former executives of the TRLEI Board.
The skirmish over Okada Manila Casino Resort isn't ending anytime soon. The latest move comes from the board of the casino operator Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc (TRLEI), led by Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada. The executive team has filed a lawsuit against the former TRLEI board members, accusing them of theft due to a shady contract with pest control services company Master Fogger.
Questionable Deals with Pest Control Services
The Department of Justice in the Philippines has filed a lawsuit against the former board members of Okada Manila's operator TRLEI, which includes Hajime Tokuda, Michiake Satate, Kenji Sugiyama, Toji Takeuchi, Celso G. Del Rosario, James Gordon Lorenzana, and Jorge A. Miano. They are accused of theft as they entered into a deal with pest control company Master Fogger, despite Okada Manila already having agreements for such services with two other providers.
According to Okada and his group, the former board members made two payments to Master Fogger totaling PHP 140.8 million ($2.5 million) within just 15 days and not even a month after the contract was signed. A concerning detail is that the major amount was not paid to Master Fogger but to Roberto Jaime Gepilano, who works for Argo Global Lending.
Okada's group suspects that the agreement and subsequent payment were made for personal gain, as Michiake Satate, a former TRLEI member, is also the management advisor of Argo Global Lending.
These suspect transactions were unveiled through an internal audit conducted by the new TRLEI board led by Okada, who also noted that there are two other cheaper agreements for pest control services with other providers.
Ongoing Tussle over Okada Manila
The drama over Okada Manila Casino Resort kicked off in May when Kazuo Okada, the resort's founder, took control alongside his representatives, supported by the Philippines Supreme Court's status quo ante order requiring the TRLEI board to revert to its 2017 composition. In response, the owner of TRLEI, Tiger Resort Asia Ltd (TRAL), filed a lawsuit against Okada and his group, claiming their dealings as illegitimate. Since then, allegations have been exchanged between the two parties, awaiting a court decision.
- The Okada Manila casino operator, TRLEI, led by Kazuo Okada, has filed a lawsuit against their former board members, including Hajime Tokuda, Michiake Satate, and others, accusing them of theft related to a questionable deal with pest control company Master Fogger.
- The Department of Justice in the Philippines is also investigating the former board members for their alleged theft, as they entered into a contract with Master Fogger despite existing agreements with two other pest control providers.
- Okada's group suspects that payments totaling PHP 140.8 million ($2.5 million) made to Master Fogger were for personal gain, as a former TRLEI member, Michiake Satate, is also the management advisor of Argo Global Lending, the apparent recipient of the major payment.
- An internal audit conducted by the new TRLEI board led by Okada revealed these suspect transactions and also noted the existence of two cheaper agreements for pest control services with other providers.
- The ongoing tussle over Okada Manila Casino Resort, which began in May, is now a topic of general-news and crime-and-justice discussions, with both parties exchanging allegations and awaiting a court decision.
