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The Macau Intermediate Court has sentenced Zhou Zhaohua and several other defendants to pay a total sum of HKD 25.5 billion to the Macau government in joint liability, for the unlawful profits related to the Galaxy Entertainment Group's criminal case. In the appeal ruling of Galaxy Entertainment Group's criminal case, Zhou Zhaohua, the founder of Galaxy Entertainment Group, was acquitted of the fraud charge and did not need to pay compensation to the government and six casino operators. However, he was found guilty of an aggravated money laundering charge and was sentenced to 8 years in prison, which maintained his original 18-year sentence.
The court's ruling pertains to various crimes involving the operation of casino games, including "gaming tables," "electronic betting," and "online betting." The court has ordered Zhou Zhaohua and multiple defendants to pay the government the total amount of illegal proceeds derived from these activities, which exceeds HKD 25 billion.
The appeal for several of the defendants partially succeeded, while some had their appeals dismissed. The original court's convictions and sentencing for various crimes, including involvement in criminal organizations, unauthorized operation of gambling activities in licensed premises, and unauthorized operation of gambling activities outside licensed premises, were upheld.
The court issued single sentences for the defendants based on multiple convictions. Zhou Zhaohua was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his involvement in a joint commission of an aggravated money laundering crime. Other defendants received prison sentences ranging from 5 years to 12 years and 6 months. These sentences were handed down due to the unlawful profits obtained from operating gambling activities, the profits gained from money laundering, and their involvement in the criminal organization.
The court maintained the original court's decision to require Zhou Zhaohua to provide a guarantee of no less than HKD 6.5 billion and subject his bank accounts, along with properties held by Zhou Zhaohua and Sawalana Limited in London, to preventive attachments. The defendants can still appeal these rulings to the Court of Final Appeal. This information is based on the judgment of the deliberation panel in case number 162/2023 of the Intermediate Court. |
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