Star Boss Denies Not Being apos;fully Candid apos;

<br>Star Entertainment's chief financial crime officer has defended dealing with a Macau-based junket operator despite knowing of a report linking it to millions of dollars of drug-trafficking related money laundering, an inquiry has been told.<br> <br>The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority inquiry into The Star Sydney has so far prompted the resignation of Star CEO Matt Bekier, and sparked calls for a similar inquiry into the ASX-listed company's two Queensland casinos.<br> <br>The inquiry is examining whether the Sydney casino has been infiltrated by criminal activity, and if its casino licence should be withdrawn.<br> <br>Star's chief financial crime officer Skye Arnott on Monday admitted the casino continued to deal with junket operator Suncity even after becoming aware in 2019 of a Hong Kong Jockey Club report linking the group to Triads, "large scale" money laundering and drug trafficking.<br> <br>Suncity, according to the HKJC report, from 2013 to 2015 laundered about $2 million a day in cash, including proceeds of drug trafficking, the inquiry was told.<br> <br>Star allowed Suncity to run a cage - a desk where cash is exchanged for chips - at a VIP room known as Salon 95 inside the Sydney casino even though the junket operator had no authority to do so, the inquiry has previously been told.<br> <br>"Wasn't there every reason by this time to consider that it was inappropriate for Star Entertainment to deal with Alvin Chau?" counsel assisting Naomi Sharp asked the witness.<br> <br>"My decisions were based on the fact that I had concerns with the report," Ms Arnott said of the HKJC report.<br> <br>Despite the report, it took until 2020 for the casino to do "enhanced" customer due diligence on Suncity and "unusual transactions" in Salon 95, the inquiry was told.<br> <br>"Yes we should have done it more quickly," Ms Arnott said.<br> <br>She described the delay as not "completely remiss" arguing "we were trying to mitigate the risks of Suncity and other junkets in other ways at that time".<br> <br>She rejected not taking a "fully candid" approach in her statement to the inquiry, which made no mention of her having access to the HKJC report.<br> <br>"Did you in fact go out of your way not to mention that you had access to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Report?" Ms Sharp asked.<br> <br>No," she replied.<br> <br>Earlier, she said she was not aware of a Star investigator's view, in May 2018, that Suncity was "totally noncompliant" with requests for information about Salon 95.<br> <br>She was also unaware of the investigator's opinion Suncity was running a business model "problematic for Star Entertainment with regard to AML (anti-money laundering) CTF (counter terrorism financing) laws".<br> <br>The witness was also questioned over "concerning" CCTV footage taken from inside Salon 95 in April 2018, showing a Suncity representative taking bundles of cash from a black bag and placing them under a desk in the VIP room.<br> <br>"You are concerned that the cash does not appear to have come from a junket participant?" Ms Sharp asked.<br> <br>"Correct," Ms Arnott replied.<br> <br>"Those are large concerns are they not? If you cherished this short article and also you would want to be given details with regards to [https://bettop88th.com/online-football แทงบอลออนไลน์] kindly stop by the web-site. " Ms Sharp then asked.<br> <br>"They are things that I would consider suspicious," Ms Arnott replied.<br> <br>The inquiry continues on Tuesday.<br>