More Twists in Phua Betting Case

More Twists in Phua Betting Case

Friday, 30 January 2015

Paul Phua, the high stakes poker player currently embroiled in an illegal sports betting case, has found himself in the news once again after reports emerged that he'd previously been arrested for a similar incident in Malaysia.

According to Malaysian publication Malaysiakini, Phua was arrested back in 2004 for operating an illegal betting ring during the European Championships. After being arrested, Phua was fined and subsequently left the country for an extended time after the betting company went bust leaving a number of punters out of pocket.

On top of this latest revelation, Phua is also being accused of bribery in Macau. Just weeks before his arrest in Las Vegas, Phua was part of a group accused of running another sports betting operation in Macau.

Looking into this incident further, the FBI claims to have found evidence that Phua avoided a prison sentence by paying $650,000 in "under the table" payments to local police officers.

Phua's attorney, David Chesnoff, has dismissed the accusations, suggesting that the FBI was relying on "illegally obtained evidence" in an effort to "prejudice" the case against Phua.

As it stands, Phua is currently fighting the charges against him following his arrest back in July. Despite some of his associates pleading guilty to lesser charges, Phua maintains that he wasn't part of any illegal sports betting activities in Vegas.



Tags: Paul Phua