Three businessmen accused of running a poker house in Central stood trial in Eastern Court yesterday for managing a gambling establishment.
Elton Tsang Ka-wai, 30, Jonathan Shen, 31, and Sebastian Chau Yeen, 28, pleaded not guilty to managing the Blue Room in Stanley Street, Central, between November 1 last year and March 13 this year, when the police raided the premises as part of an anti-gambling operation.
Gambling chips with a face value of more than HK$81,000 as well as HK$18,000 in cash were seized.
Curt Lam Yau-fung, 41, who said he was the chief financial officer of a major corporation, was originally charged with gambling but was granted immunity from prosecution to become a witness, the court heard.
The executive director and financial controller of listed company Yuexiu Property has the same name in Chinese and English.
Lam told the court he first visited the Blue Room on December 13 last year to play no-limit Texas hold'em poker.
He went there about once a week until the raid.