The Prosecutor's Office is investigating Chinese citizens behind these clandestine casinos.
Chile.- The Prosecutor's Office of Temuco, in Chile, is conducting a preliminary investigation against eight Chinese citizens for operating illegal casinos in the city center, in the La Araucanía region. So far, they have not been formally charged because they did not attend the hearing or, in some cases, requested a translator claiming not to understand Spanish.
The accused are part of a group of 20 people, of which seven have already been formally charged, although none of the formalized individuals are of Chinese origin. These defendants did not attend the formalization hearing that took place on February 28 at the Temuco Court of Guarantee. During that session, their lawyers argued that they had not been properly notified or that they did not understand Spanish and, therefore, required the presence of a translator.
In this case, the Municipality of Temuco has filed a complaint against the defendants. Francisco Vergara, a lawyer for the entity, explained to the media BioBio Chile that three people of Asian origin attended the hearing, but could not be formally charged because they requested a Mandarin Chinese translator, a request that was accepted by Judge Marcia Castillo.
Meanwhile, Cecilia Valdés, president of the Chilean Association of Casino Games, also referred to the case, since her organization is a complainant party.
The seven businessmen who were formally charged face charges for operating illegal casinos and committing tax offenses related to clandestine trade. The court, for its part, has arranged alternative precautionary measures to imprisonment, such as periodic signing and the prohibition of leaving the country.
For its part, the Court of Guarantee has set a new hearing for June 10 with the expectation that the Chinese citizens will attend and, by order of the court, the presence of a Mandarin Chinese translator will be available.
