Macau Court Upholds 18-Year Sentence for Ex-Suncity CEO Alvin Chau

Macau’s Court of Final Appeal has dismissed the appeal of former Suncity Group CEO Alvin Chau, affirming his original 18-year prison sentence.

The verdict, delivered in a closed session on Wednesday afternoon, followed Chau’s appeal of a January 2023 ruling that found him guilty of criminal association, illegal gambling, and money laundering. Appeals by eight other defendants in the case were also dismissed.

In addition, the Court of Final Appeal confirmed a previous judgment requiring the nine defendants to jointly and severally pay HK$24.87 billion (US$3.18 billion) to the Macau government, representing the illegal gains from their gambling activities.

Chau was arrested in November 2021 and detained in Coloane Prison on charges of fraud, triad offenses, and illegal gambling. Suncity Group, Asia’s largest junket operator at the time, shut down shortly after his arrest.

The case was initially tried in the Court of First Instance over more than six months, resulting in Chau’s 18-year prison sentence and an order to pay compensation to five of Macau’s concessionaires on January 18, 2023.

Both the Prosecutor’s Office and Chau appealed to the Court of Second Instance. In October, the Court upheld Chau’s 18-year sentence, dismissed the fraud charge, and increased the total compensation owed by Chau to the government and concessionaires from HK$8.6 billion (US$1.1 billion) to HK$25 billion.

Subsequent appeals by Chau and the Prosecutor’s Office to the Court of Final Appeal concluded with Wednesday’s verdict, effectively ending any further legal recourse.

Original Story by: IAG