Kazuo Okada, men indicted in casino rift

The Department of Justice has indicted Kazuo Okada and his henchmen for their illegal and violent takeover of Okada Manila in May and is recommending the filing of grave coercion charges against the Kazuo Group.

In a resolution of the five separate complaints filed against the Kazuo Group, the DoJ said the probable cause has been established in justifying the filing of grave coercion charges against the defendants, mainly Kazuo Okada, Antonio O. Cojuangco, Dindo Espeleta and Florentino "Binky" Herrera III.

The DoJ panel acted on the complaints filed by Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. officers James Lorenzana, Hajime Tokuda, Juan Pena and Michiaki Satate, as well as legal counsel Estrella Elamparo.

"We are grateful that the Department of Justice has started the ball rolling in advancing justice for the victims of the brutal takeover in May. We will continue to work with our lawyers and exhaust all legal means to win this case against the Kazuo Group," TRLEI CFO, treasurer, and board member Hans Van Der Sande, said.

It could be recalled that the Kazuo Group stormed Okada Manila on 31 May 2022, with not less than 50 armed men and police officers to physically takeover the integrated casino hotel. They cited a wrong interpretation of the status quo ante order issued by the Supreme Court as basis for violently taking over the Okada Manila premises.

Physically represented by Cojuangco and Espeleta who were assisted by their legal counsel Herrera, the Kazuo Group forcefully booted out members of the TRLEI board, employing brute force and intimidation that resulted in physical injuries to the victims. They also illegally installed themselves as members of the board of Okada Manila.

This, despite no approval from the Supreme Court to allow the Kazuo Group to physically take over Okada Manila. "(T)hey exceeded and/or went beyond what the SQAO has allowed," the DoJ panel found.

"Ineluctably, respondents Kazuo, Cojuangco, Espeleta and Herrera are deemed to have taken the law into their hands," the resolution read. "(T)hey precipitously went ahead of their unlawful plan to take control and possession of Okada Manila in the guise of implementing the SQAO, which contains no specifications on what respondents can only do by virtue thereof."

The justice department added that the Kazuo Group "illegally magnified the simple and general directive of the Supreme Court to maintain order in the business affairs and operations of Okada Manila."

By preventing Lorenzana, Tokuda and Satate from performing their duties as officers of TRLEI, the DoJ panel found probable cause for the filing of grave coercion charges against Kazuo Okada,
Cojuangco, Espeleta and Herrera.

"Overdoing a given authority is tantamount to taking advantage of, if not deemed a licentious action, as a means to attain an end. Respondents should act within the confines of the law and not resort to the commission of a felony," the resolution read.

"Evidently, there is prima facie evidence showing that respondents did not act under authority of law and/or went in excess of a lawful right. They have no right to take the law into their hands and deprive the complainants of their right as directors and officers of TRLEI," it added.