Macau Court upholds Alvin Chau’s 18-year jail sentence

Macau’s Court of Final Appeal has rejected appeals by Alvin Chau’s defence and by Macau’s Public Prosecutions Office.

Macau.- Macau’s Court of Final Appeal has confirmed the 18-year prison sentence for Alvin Chau Cheok Wa. The former CEO of Suncity (now LET Group Holdings) was sentenced on January 18, 2023.

The decision, announced on Wednesday (July 3), maintains the original sentences, rejecting the appeals of Chau and eight co-appellants. Si Tou Chi Hou, Cheung Yat Ping Ellute, Ali Celestino, Cheong Chi Kin, Chau Chun Hee, Lou Seak Fong, Wong Pak Ling Philip, and Leong Su Weng had been sentenced by the Court of Second Instance to terms ranging from 9 to 18 years.

The court also dismissed Macau’s Public Prosecutions Office request for harsher penalties following a previous attempt by prosecutors to reinstate a fraud conviction for some of the defendants.

Chau was tried for leading a criminal syndicate, engaging in illicit gambling activities, and committing fraud. This verdict was delivered two years after his high-profile arrest, which led to the closure of all VIP rooms operated by Sun City Gaming Promotion Company. Once the largest junket operator in Macau, the company was wound up in December 2021.