Overview
- The Federal Court on Wednesday imposed final penalties on two former Star executives with Matthias Bekier fined $700,000 and banned from managing corporations for six years and Paula Martin fined $400,000 and banned for seven years
- The court found both breached duties by failing to address clear money‑laundering and criminal risks tied to Star’s largest junket Suncity, including evidence of large cash deliveries and efforts to avoid CCTV
- Justice Lee criticised Bekier and Martin for a lack of developed insight into the seriousness of the breaches and ordered them to contribute to ASIC’s legal costs
- The judge said his penalties were reduced because ASIC had earlier accepted comparatively lenient settlements with two other senior Star executives, which constrained the court’s ability to impose larger fines
- The ruling clears non‑executive directors of legal contraventions but condemns the board’s poor governance and will add momentum to calls for stronger, independent regulation of Australia’s casino industry