Accused gambling kingpin Paul Phua 'assisting Malaysia on matters of national security'
Malaysian citizen who used to be Macau's top junket operator is not a triad member, Kuala Lumpur's Minister of Home Affairs tells FBI
Paul Phua Wei-seng, the former Macau junket operator facing illegal bookmaking charges in Las Vegas, is assisting the Malaysian government in matters of national security and is not a member of Hong Kong’s 14k triad society, a Malaysian cabinet minister has told US authorities.
“Mr Phua is neither a member nor is he associated with the ‘14k Triad’, Malaysia’s Minister of Home Affairs Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wrote in a letter to Mark Giuliano, deputy director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Mr Phua has, on numerous occassions [sic], assisted the Government of Malaysia on projects affecting our national security and accordingly we continue to call upon him to assist us from time to time and as such we are eager for him to return to Malaysia,” Hamidi wrote in the letter dated December 18.
The letter, marked “private & confidential”, was submitted to the United States District Court in Las Vegas on Monday by Phua’s defence team. Phua’s lawyers have consistently refuted the allegation that Phua has ties with Hong Kong’s organised crime groups since his arrest in July.
In his letter, the minister did not elaborate on what matters of national security Phua assisted the Southeast Asian nation. His office could not be reached for immediate comment on Tuesday.
Phua, 50, and his son stand accused of running an illegal gambling operation from suites at the Caesar’s Palace Hotel in Las Vegas during the soccer world cup earlier this year.
An online message found on his computer during a police raid suggested that bets of the alleged operation reached a "grand total" of HK$2.7 billion, according to court documents. US federal prosecutors alleged the group made a profit of US$13 million in June and July on soccer bets.
