The Department of Justice will investigate the Parañaque City prosecutor handling the estafa case against Japanese tycoon Kazuo Okada for allegedly prematurely disclosing his resolution to the businessman’s “close companion” who posted it on her Facebook and Instagram accounts last May 18.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would inquire into the allegation made by Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc., operator of Okada Manila, accusing Parañaque City Prosecutor Amerhassan Paudac of bias and gross partiality.
Guevarra asked him to inhibit himself from the case after a resolution, which has yet to be released officially by his office, was posted last May 18 in the Instagram and Facebook accounts of Chloe Kim, known to be Okada’s Korean lover.
“I will look into this matter asap, premature disclosure of orders and resolutions prior to official release is not allowed unless there are compelling reasons that would sufficiently justify the same,” Guevarra said in a text message sent to reporters on Monday.
In its motion for inhibition filed against Paudac, TRLEI accused the fiscal of bias and gross partiality by the family of Kazuo Okada after a resolution, yet to be officially released by Paudac’s office, was posted Kim’s two social media accounts last week.
Okada is facing multiple counts of estafa before the Parañaque Prosecutor’s Office for embezzling more than $10 million of Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. funds between early 2016 and June 2017.
TRLEI is the owner and operator of the posh Okada Manila in Entertainment City, Parañaque, where Okada was its former chief executive officer before majority shareholders composed of his wife and children booted him out.
TRLEI demanded that Paudac inhibit himself from the cases being handled by his office due to the impression created by the release of advance copies to Okada that said release must have been for substantial monetary consideration considering the amounts in the estafa cases and the personalities involved.
“As city prosecutor, [he] is expected to manifest such degree of impartiality which should not be tainted by scintilla of doubt,” TRLEI said.
“Resolutions purportedly disposing the captioned cases in favor of respondent Okada have apparently been leaked… as shown by the unlawful publication thereof in the Facebook and Instagram accounts of his close companion, Chloe Kim although said resolutions have not been officially released,” the Okada operator lamented.
In her social media accounts of May 18, Kim posted photos of the dispositive and signature portions of the purported resolutions dismissing two estafa cases against Okada and other former officers of TRLEI.
Said resolutions were not yet accessible to counsels of the Okada family as of May 21, 2018.
Kim had caption on her photos, which read: “Devils will go the hell soon! 2 estafa cases against Kazuo Okada of OkadaManila dismissed. Justice prevails.”
“Kim already had a copy of, or had access to, the very same resolutions that complainant TRLEI’s counsel could not access from the Office of the City Prosecutor” last Monday, the motion said.
“There is factual and legal basis to believe that City Prosecutor Paudac is biased and partial in favor of respondent Okada to the grave prejudice of complainant TRLEI,” it added,
As the city prosecutor, Paudac was the last person to sign and approve the resolutions and had the ultimate authority and administrative supervision over official releases of the resolutions.
“With the alacrity with which Chloe Kim and Mr. Okada obtained in advance copies of the said resolutions, TRLEI cannot help but fear that the resolutions had been pre-arranged with City Prosecutor Paudac to favor Mr. Okada,” it said.