The case involving Wei Seng ‘Paul’ Phua, a high-stakes poker player, has taken a new turn. An official from Malaysia, Phua’s country of origin, stated that the player has not been related to the Hong Kong-based triads in any way.
Back in July 2014, Phua and seven other people, among which was his son Darren, were arrested on suspicion of taking illegal wagers during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
A few days ago, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Malaysia’s current Minister of Home Affairs, sent a letter to Mark Giuliano, Deputy FBI Director, in which he tried to refute any claims that Phua had been connected with members of the so-called 14K Triad.
Mr. Hamidi also stated that the high-stakes poker player had helped Malaysia’s government on various projects concerning national security. The country’s Minister of Home Affairs pointed out in his letter to the FBI that Malaysia will be more than glad to be able to rely on Phua’s assistance in future.
In December, Phua’s attorneys refuted the allegations of his involvement with the 14K Triad. They claimed that these rest on a more than a six-year-old sentence document, which contained information that was provided by a police officer from Malaysia. Player’s attorneys submitted a copy of Mr. Hamidi’s letter to the federal court in Nevada, which is dealing with the case in question.
It was announced that the official did not comment on the illegal wagers accusations. Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah stated that Phua had really helped several agencies in Malaysia on matters concerning national security.
No specific information was given on how exactly the poker player assisted the government of Malaysia. Yet, Mr. Shafee pointed out that the country needs “civilian participation” so as to be able to successfully handle national security matters.
The lawyer also commented on Phua’s illegal sports betting charges. According to him, the player was arrested for providing gambling services without having the necessary license. In other words, Phua’s offense is breach of revenue-related laws.
As previously reported, five of the people arrested in July 2014 were imposed plea-bargained sentences. The charges against another defendant were dropped. Phua and his son Darren’s future is to be decided on February 9.
Their attorneys claimed that the evidence collected against them should be ruled inadmissible. According to them, the villas that were occupied by the defendants were searched in a manner that breached the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Back in July 2014, undercover FBI agents entered the villas in question equipped with special cameras, after the internet connection was shut down and the Phuas called for a technician to take care of the problem.
