Witnesses key in DOJ’s case against Kazuo Okada

okada-bribery-allegationsThe Department of Justice in the Philippines is getting ready to drop the hammer on Kazuo Okada, that is if it can secure credible witnesses to corroborate the case it is building against the Japanese gaming tycoon.

That, apparently, is the only stumbling block left preventing the DOJ to charge Okada with bribery stemming from allegations that he paid off former Pagcor officials to secure a casino license to build his $2-billion resort and casino in the country.

DOJ secretary Leila de Lima told the Philippine Star that her investigators have built a strong enough case, including numerous documented evidences, to tie up Okada with bribery. The only thing left is to secure witnesses who will corroborate the information the DOJ has in its possession. “We just could not file the case then because we need testimonial evidence to be able to come up with a strong bribery case,” De Lima said.

“My instruction to the panel is to continue with case buildup on the bribery. They are now eyeing potential witnesses who have implicated former Pagcor officials.”

De Lima also confirmed that the DOJ has been looking for potential witnesses against Okada, indicating that consideration was placed on three Japanese nationals who allegedly had inside information regarding the reported transactions between Okada’s Universal Entertainment and former Pagcor officials.

The three eventually declined to cooperate with investigators, prompting the DOJ to scour the lot for more witnesses who are willing to validate the documents the DOJ already has at its disposal.

The government agency’s apparent enthusiasm in seeing this case through doesn’t bode well for the Japanese billionaire, who, incidentally, has already been charged in the Philippines for violating the country’s Anti-Dummy law.

If the DOJ has the concrete evidence against Okada it claims it has, then it’s going to be difficult for the casino magnate and his associates to wiggle out of this mess they allegedly created.