Overview
- The Federal Court found in March that former Star chief Matthias Bekier and ex‑general counsel Paula Martin failed to tell the board about suspicious conduct by junket operator Suncity in 2018–2019.
- ASIC asked the court on Thursday to impose A$1.3 million on Bekier and A$1.1 million on Martin and to disqualify Bekier for up to eight years and Martin for seven years.
- Court record describes cash bundles delivered in blue cooler bags or cardboard boxes and junket staff hiding under blankets to avoid CCTV, while Suncity had been a major revenue source for Star including A$2.1 billion in FY2017.
- Defence lawyers pointed to much smaller settlements ASIC accepted for two other former Star executives — A$180,000 and A$60,000 — and argued the proposed fines and bans would be unfairly large.
- Justice Michael Lee flagged concern about the size disparity and the risk of 'performative remorse' delaying real accountability, and a final ruling on fines and disqualifications is still pending.