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| PAGCOR Chief Cristino Naguiat |
Former consul and Chairman Emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) in the Philippines, Robert Lim Joseph, said that Naguiat cannot be held accountable for the complimentary hotel accommodations he received from Okada when the PAGCOR chief visited Macau in 2010.
In an interview, Joseph stated:
"The hotel accommodations, even if they were first-class and other freebies are very common in the industry. Of course, when gambling officials come here (to the Philippines), we also would give them the best. We will not place them in a cheap hotel. It would always be first-class accommodations."
According to the tourism executive, offering complimentary hotel rooms and other freebies to VIPs is common practice and standard operating procedure in the gambling and tourism industry. Thus, he pointed out, Naguiat cannot be accused of impropriety because of complimentary hotel rooms.
Joseph also pointed out that Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s Sheldon Adelson shared the same belief on giving of complimentary hotel rooms and even made such statements public in recent media interviews.
Joseph also dismissed news that Naguiat should be investigated for bribery as Okada's already received his license to be one of four investors in PAGCOR's Entertainment City Manila project before the Macau hotel rooms were offered.
According to Joseph:
"So, there's more reason to dismiss allegations that Naguiat was bribed to allow Okada to operate his business in the country."
Naguiat's name got dragged into the issue after Wynn accused former partner Okada of making inappropriate payments and gifts to Philippine gambling official amounting to US$110,000 in order to win favorable concessions from PAGCOR for Okada's US$2 billion investment in the multi-billion-dollar entertainment and casino complex along Manila Bay.
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| Entertainment City Manila, the planned integrated entertainment and casino complex along reclaimed land where Okada is investing US$ 2 billion to build the Manila Bay Resorts Hotel and Casino. Photo from Wikipedia. |
Wynn's Board of Directors then deemed Wynn and several affiliates "unsuitable", ousted Okada and redeemed Okada's shares in the company at a 30% discount.
Further allegations by Wynn stated that the Okada-controlled Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment building a hotel casino in the Philippines is in direct competition with Wynn Macau.
However, Okada filed a counterclaim suit against the discounted redemption. Okada also stated that Steve Wynn knew of his plans to invest in the casino project in the Philippines as early as 2007 and that Wynn did not voice any concerns or opposition.
