Soccer boss Carson Yeung asked to explain irregular deposits
Money-laundering expert says there were unusual cash cheque deposits from casino operator into Carson Yeung's bank accounts
Tens of millions of dollars in cash cheques deposited into Birmingham City football club boss Carson Yeung Ka-sing's bank accounts by a Macau casino operator needed explanation, a forensic accounting expert said in court yesterday.
"It is unusual to see cheques like these and this requires some explanation," Roderick Sutton told the District Court.
The court heard earlier that Sociedade de Jogos de Macau S.A. (SJM), one of the six companies authorised to operate casinos in Macau, issued a series of cash cheques for a total of HK$64 million, which were deposited into Yeung's accounts from late 2004 to early 2005. Sutton, of FTI Consulting, has been called by the prosecution in Yeung's 25-day money-laundering trial to comment on the patterns of deposits and withdrawals of five bank accounts held by Yeung and his father.
Sutton, who is a fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is widely used as an expert in money-laundering trials in the District Court and High Court.
Yeung is being tried over five counts of money laundering totalling HK$721 million. The five accounts were with Wing Lung Bank and HSBC.
The alleged offences took place from January 2001 to December 2007.