Crown Perth Casino Ex-Manager Admits to Potential Oversight in Money Laundering Case

The prior head of Crown Perth Casino acknowledged that his staff could have taken further steps to address money laundering connected to questionable cash dealings.

During his appearance before the Perth Casino Royal Commission, ex-general manager David Brown faced inquiries regarding his division’s, and his own, responsibility in detecting and disclosing these transactions. The dealings under scrutiny involved multiple cash deposits made into Crown Perth’s Riverbank accounts from 2013 to 2015 that Brown conceded “appeared dubious.”

These deposits, primarily originating from abroad, consistently fell just below the $10,000 AUD limit that necessitates a report to AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence unit. This tactic, referred to as “structuring,” is a frequent red flag for money laundering.

Further raising concerns, these deposits were executed at various bank locations before being placed into the Crown Perth Riverbank accounts. ANZ bank closed the casino’s Riverbank account in 2014 due to these apprehensions, but Crown merely established new accounts at Commonwealth Bank, permitting the suspect activity to persist.

The Perth Royal Commission is slated to hear from additional high-ranking personnel, including former chief legal counsel Joshua Preston, Crown Perth’s director of security and investigations Derek Burling, and Crown Resorts Group’s general manager of responsible gaming, Sonja Bauer.

Upon the conclusion of the proceedings, the inquiry will be temporarily suspended for a fortnight.

This Perth-based investigation represents the most recent examination of Crown Resorts, succeeding a comparable inquiry conducted in New South Wales that led to Crown Sydney forfeiting its gaming permit. The enterprise, formerly a prized asset within Australian tycoon James Packer’s conglomerate, is presently facing significant scrutiny.

Prior inquiries unveiled highly critical proof of the corporation’s shortcomings, encompassing troubling connections to criminal syndicates and participation in illicit financial activities.