TRLEI board to focus on Okada ‘illegal takeover’

THE group of the ousted board of Okada Manila operator Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Inc. on Monday said they will focus on the issue of what they called an illegal takeover by the Kazuo Okada group of the casino facility rather than on the kidnapping, illegal detention and among cases filed before the Department of Justice.

“The SQAO (Status Quo Ante Order issued by the Supreme Court to the Kazuo group) is a temporary measure that required both parties to return to the status quo prior to the removal of Kazuo Okada from TRLEI in 2017,” the group said.

“Kazuo Okada and his group have misrepresented themselves and withheld vital information from the honorable court about the companies’ ownership/ structure. They have also no legal basis for taking control of the company. Moreover, Kazuo Okada and his cohorts are not recognized by both UEC (Universal Entertainment Corp) and TRAL (Tiger Resorts Asia Ltd), the legitimate owners of TRLEI. UEC is the parent company of TRAL, which in turns owns the local company that operates Okada Manila, the $3.3-billion integrated resort and casino in Entertainment City.

The said SQAO was the document used by Kazuo’s camp to take over management of Okada Manila in late May. The ousted board, as represented by lawyer Estrella Elamparo, claimed there was violence during the takeover, an allegation that the Kazuo group denies.

In a preliminary investigation at the DOJ, lawyers of Kazuo Okada last week sought to dismiss the kidnapping and illegal detention case filed by Hajime Tokuda, the Japanese director of TRLEI, for lack of factual and legal basis.