Gaming firm seeks prosecutor’s recusal in $10-M Okada case

A gaming firm has sought the recusal of a Parañaque City prosecutor from a $10-million estafa case it filed against Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada for allegedly leaking a copy of his resolution junking the case.

In a 10-page motion, Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. demanded the recusal of city prosecutor Amerhassan Paudac after photos of his decision absolving Okada and his fellow respondents were posted by a certain Chloe Kim, Okada’s supposed lover, in her social media account.

Tiger Resort claimed that Kim, a Korean national, posted photos Paudac’s resolution on May 18, three days before the order was released to Okada’s lawyers.

“There is factual and legal basis to believe that Paudac is biased and partial in favor of respondent Okada,” said Tiger Resort, a subsidiary of the Japan-based gaming resorts developer Universal Entertainment Corp.

“Favoring one party not only offends due process, but is a clear [indication] of bias and partiality which may warrant administrative, civil or criminal sanctions,” it said.

Tiger Resort, operator of the gaming resort Okada Manila, had accused Okada, Takahiro Usui, Kengo Takeda and Tetsuya Yokota of unlawfully pocketing some $10 million in company funds from 2016 until Okada was sacked as its chief executive officer in June 2017. —MARLON RAMOS AND JULIE M. AURELIO