8chan/8kun QResearch Posts (5)
#14289929 at 2021-08-07 10:53:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #18078: Check Your P's and Q's Edition
>>14289924
Directors depart
Crown argues much damage has already been done.
The public exposure of wrongdoing has already run a scythe through senior ranks at the company.
Eleven directors signed a letter attacking the "falsehoods" of Nine's "deceitful campaign" - a letter that itself was criticised at the Bergin inquiry - on 31 July 2019.
A little over two years later, only two of those directors - former gaming machine executive Antonia Korsanos and former senior public servant Jane Halton - have any continuing role at the company.
Gone are Packer's confidant and chair John Alexander, the billionaire's nominees Guy Jalland and Michael Johnston, former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou - who appeared to be reading from notes while giving evidence during the Bergin inquiry, former Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon, Kerry Packer's old doctor John Horvath, adman Harold Mitchell, and Perth businessman John Poynton.
Helen Coonan, the acting executive chair who Bergin trusted to clean up Crown's Augean stables, will leave the company by the end of the month after being criticised by counsel assisting Finkelstein.
Chief executive Ken Barton resigned in February after he was found to have misled shareholders at an annual general meeting in 2019 about the nature of information being shared between Crown and Packer's company Consolidated Press Holdings, described by Bergin as "quite improper" and "appalling".
Crown's former chief legal officer Joshua Preston resigned last year after giving evidence to the NSW inquiry.
Barry Felstead, who ran Crown's Australian casinos, left at the end of the year and his role was split, so that there are now individual CEOs for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
The man who took on the role in Melbourne, Xavier Walsh, is also leaving the company this month following criticism of him at the Finkelstein royal commission for failing to properly deal with the state tax rort once he knew about it.
But none of this is enough, according to counsel assisting Finkelstein, Adrian Finanzio QC, who last month said the licence should be revoked despite the serious disruption doing so would cause.
"The evidence reveals serious misconduct, illegal conduct and highly inappropriate conduct, which has been encouraged or facilitated by a culture which has consistently put profit before all other considerations," he said.
#12928216 at 2021-02-15 00:44:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16501: Now They'll Use The Criminal Courts To Go After President Trump Edition
Crown CEO Ken Barton resigns following scathing report into casino giant
Ken Barton has stepped down as CEO and managing director of Crown Resorts following last week's scathing report into the gambling giant.
Key points:
Ken Barton was found to be "no match" to run a casino by the gaming regulator
An inquiry found he should have launched a full investigation into money laundering allegations
Mr Barton is the fourth board member to resign in the last week
In a statement, Crown said it was determined to take "significant steps" to improve governance, compliance and culture.
Helen Coonan will lead the company as executive chairman while the board searches for a new CEO.
An investigation commissioned by NSW's Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) last week concluded Crown was unsuitable to operate a licence for its new Sydney casino in its current form.
A report by Commissioner Patricia Bergin found there was likely no future in the company for Mr Barton.
Mr Barton said in a statement he was committed to assisting with a leadership transition.
"I am absolutely certain the business is now on the right path as it works to restore confidence in its operations," he said.
Mr Barton has spent more than a decade with Crown, initially as its chief financial officer before being appointed as CEO in January 2020 as the Bergin inquiry began.
During his time at Crown he was also the director of two VIP bank accounts at the centre of money laundering allegations.
Commissioner Bergin found Mr Barton was "no match for what is needed at the helm of a casino licensee".
"His problems will not be cured by the appointment of people expert in the field who report to him", she stated in her final report.
She found Mr Barton should have launched a full investigation into money laundering allegations by the time the inquiry began.
Mr Barton was also accused of misleading shareholders at an annual general meeting in 2019 when he said "general" information was being shared between Crown and James Packer's company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) when in reality that information was confidential.
"Mr Barton's conduct at the Annual General Meeting in October 2019 as the CFO of Crown was quite improper," the report stated.
How Crown was brought to its knees
Damning evidence was presented at a public inquiry into Crown's operations. Is this a new era of accountability for the gaming sector?
Read more
"However his attempts in the witness box on 23 September 2020 to justify his conduct at the Annual General Meeting, were even more inappropriate for the CEO and director of Crown and director of the licensee.
"It demonstrated a serious lack of judgment and insight into the expectation of the highest standards of property, candour and co-operation of a director of a company that holds a casino licence."
Last week three Crown directors, Andrew Demetriou, Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland, also resigned, allowing the company to mount an "ambitious reform program", according to Ms Coonan.
Mr Packer's CPH cut its ties with Crown's board after terminating its consultancy contract with non-executive board member John Poynton.
Ms Coonan last week apologised for the company's "shortcomings" and said the criticism by the regulator was warranted.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-15/crown-ceo-ken-barton-resigns-after-sydney-casino-report/13154690
#12897014 at 2021-02-12 02:32:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16462: The 'Projecting Projectors Projecting Projections' Edition
Crown director Andrew Demetriou resigns following scathing report from NSW gaming authority
Crown Resorts director Andrew Demetriou has resigned from the board of the embattled gaming giant but has vowed to defend his reputation.
Key points:
Andrew Demetriou is the third Crown board member to resign this week
On Tuesday the NSW gaming authority ruled Crown was unable to operate a licence for the new Barangaroo casino
Mr Demetriou said the commissioner's comments about him were "unfair and unjust"
In a statement, Mr Demetriou said it was not an "easy decision" to step down and he had thought "carefully about taking this step".
"I have always been a team player and supported the greater good. I will therefore step down from the Crown Resorts board to give Crown the best possible chance of becoming suitable to the NSW Regulator," he said.
An extensive investigation commissioned by NSW's Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) this week concluded Crown was unsuitable to operate a licence for its new Sydney casino in its current form.
A report by Commissioner Patricia Bergin was scathing of the company's culture and identified a litany of failures, including money laundering.
The ILGA's chairman, Philip Crawford, said Mr Demetriou would need to resign if the company wanted to hold a licence for the Barangaroo casino in the future.
However in his statement, Mr Demetriou said the comments directed toward him in the report were "unfair and unjust".
"I will defend my reputation at every opportunity," he said.
Two other directors, Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland resigned from Crown on Wednesday, and chief executive Ken Barton also appears likely to step down in the coming days.
Crown released a statement this morning saying Mr Barton was considering his position.
Mr Demetriou said it had been an "honour" to serve on the Crown board and had confidence a licence for the new casino would eventually be granted.
"Crown is a great company, with outstanding people who serve the company well. Barangaroo will be a magnificent addition to the Sydney landscape and I look forward to when it is fully operational," he said.
Mr Demetriou's photo and biography was swiftly deleted from the Crown Resorts website following his resignation.
How Crown was brought to its knees
Damning evidence was presented at a public inquiry into Crown's operations. Is this a new era of accountability for the gaming sector?
Read more
Mr Demetriou was the current chairman of Crown Melbourne and was a member of Crowns Risk Management Committee from 2018.
The Bergin Report found he had no formal anti-money laundering training before joining Crown's board.
Following allegations of money laundering through two of Crown's VIP banking accounts in 2019, Mr Demetriou said he never took the chance to look at the accounts himself, saying he was not an accountant.
The Bergin Report also found Mr Demetriou had pledged allegiance to James Packer, Crown's largest shareholder, and regularly provided him with information whenever asked.
During the inquiry last year, Mr Demetriou was taken to task for referring to notes when answering questions about corporate culture.
ILGA chairman Mr Crawford told the ABC yesterday the resignations were a "good start".
"There need to be changes at the top and in senior management, a lot of board changes and that's started already," Mr Crawford said.
"We look forward to seeing a bit more of that and also senior management. That's a start."
The ILGA board will meet today to discuss the commissioner's report and Mr Crawford said the regulator would have "a fairly long list" of requirements for Crown to make itself suitable to run the Barangaroo casino.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-12/andrew-demetriou-resigns-from-crown-resorts/13147330
#12893549 at 2021-02-11 19:19:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16457: Military District of Washington? Edition
Crown CEO Ken Barton bows to pressure and agrees to resign
Crown chief executive Ken Barton appears likely to step down in the coming days after bowing to increasing pressure from gaming authorities, following a damning report into the Australian casino giant.
Key points:
Mr Barton is understood to have indicated he intends to resign shortly following a report highly critical of his role
Two Crown board members resigned on Wednesday amid pressure from gambling regulators
Mr Barton met on Thursday with Crown chair Helen Coonan when he offered his resignation, the ABC understands
The Bergin Report this week found there was likely no future in the company for Mr Barton.
ABC News understands Mr Barton signalled he would resign during a meeting with Crown chair Helen Coonan earlier on Thursday.
It follows the resignation of two Crown board members, Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland, on Wednesday.
Crown board member and former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou is also facing increasing pressure to resign.
Mr Barton's decision to step down comes after increasing pressure from gambling regulators following a report critical of Crown, released this week.
An extensive investigation by the NSW gaming regulator found Crown was unsuitable to operate a licence for its new Sydney casino in its current form.
Its report outlined a litany of Crown failures, including money laundering, and said the company would have to undertake extensive cultural change in order to hold a licence to operate the new Barangaroo casino in future.
In an interview with ABC Radio National on Thursday morning, NSW's Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) chair Philip Crawford said the pair must resign or be sacked if Crown wanted to hold the licence to operate Sydney's second casino.
He welcomed the resignations of Mr Johnston and Mr Jalland.
As the crisis deepened, on Thursday afternoon the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) said Mr Barton and director Andrew Demetriou would be asked to explain why they should remain associates of Crown Melbourne in Southbank.
VCGLR chief executive Catherine Myers said the commission had a number of investigations ongoing into Crown, but the first step was to demand an explanation for the findings of the Bergin report.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-11/crown-ceo-ken-barton-bows-to-pressure-and-resigns/13146218
#12875162 at 2021-02-10 01:35:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16434: Anon Ebake With Solid Dough Edition
Two Crown Resorts directors resign after damning report halts opening of new Sydney casino
Crown Resorts directors Guy Jalland and Michael Johnston have resigned less than 24 hours after a scathing report all but detonated the company's hopes of opening Sydney's second casino.
Key points:
ILGA chair Philip Crawford said the resignations were a "promising start"
Crown were told to undergo significant cultural changes
Shares in Crown dropped almost 9 per cent when the market opened this morning
The report, which came after a lengthy inquiry commissioned by NSW's Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA), deemed Crown unsuitable in its current form to hold the licence to operate a new casino at Barangaroo, which has already been built.
Commissioner Patricia Bergin's report said the company would need to undergo significant cultural changes if it were to hold the licence in the future, and ILGA chair Philip Crawford this morning quipped Crown would have to "blow itself up to save itself".
"I'd be very surprised if there weren't substantial changes to the Crown board," he said.
Just minutes after he made that statement in a press conference in Sydney, the company announced Mr Jalland and Mr Johnston had resigned in an ASX statement.
A composite image of two men looking at the camera
Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland resigned as directors of Crown Resorts on February 10, 2021.
When a reporter broke the news to Mr Crawford, he described it as "a promising start".
"That means somebody is listening to us and that's really positive," he said.
'"That's a big message to me and the media."
Mr Johnston and Mr Jalland are also directors of James Packer's separate company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH), which technically holds Mr Packer's shares in Crown.
Since taking over as a major shareholder of Crown in 2008, CPH was afforded two nominated directors on Crown's board.
The inquiry was also told of a special arrangement between the two companies where confidential financial figures from Crown were regularly shared through CPH, notably without the knowledge of shareholders.
The report found it was through this 'protocol' that Mr Packer maintained his thought he was in control of Crown.
"The irresistible conclusion from the evidence is that Mr Packer took the view and behaved in a manner consistent with the view that he was still in control of Crown," it said.
It stated Mr Jalland was an "honest witness" but deemed his future on the board of Crown was likely over, given the arrangement between the two companies had recently ended.
Mr Johnston, a former senior partner with Ernst & Young, actively worked with Mr Packer to develop the VIP gaming business model and apart from the CEO was the only Crown director on the VIP working group.
In the inquiry he accepted there was a risk of infiltration of organised crime into casinos.
The report recommended he "conclude his tour of duty as soon as possible" because his position with both companies meant lines of reporting were blurred, risks were not properly identified and conflicts of potential conflicts were not recognised.
Crown shares were put in a trading halt on the ASX yesterday as the report was released, and dropped almost 9 per cent when the market opened this morning.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the report was thorough, direct and clear and that she would await for recommendations and advice from the independent regulator.
"It's all there in black and white and I'm sure both Crown and any other organisation will read that report carefully and accept what action has to occur before anybody is able to have a licence in NSW," she said.
"Anybody who wants to operate a casino in NSW has to stick to the rules, has to stick to the law.
"The Government doesn't apologise for upholding those high standards."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-10/two-crown-resorts-directors-resign-after-casino-report/13139534
8chan/8kun QResearch AUSTRALIA Posts (3)
#13077180 at 2021-03-01 07:16:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition
>>12867040
Resignations in the news
Crown Resorts director John Poynton resigns following regulator pressure
Crown's departing director John Poynton has declared he remains a "fit and proper person" to remain on the board of the James Packer-based casino company, but says he resigned "in the best interests of the gaming company and its shareholders".
After tendering his resignation to chairman Helen Coonan, Mr Poynton released a statement to The Australian on Monday afternoon, noting he wished Crown "the best at this challenging time for the company.
"The Bergin Inquiry made no findings against my integrity or performance on the Crown board or my status as a fit and proper person,'' the statement said.
"But given the advice from The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority about perceptions about my independence arising out of my past relationship with James Packer and CPH, I believe resigning is the right thing to do.. This is despite Ms Bergin specifically noting that my commitment and contribution would be 'integral' to Crown's future success."
In her report released earlier this month Ms Bergin noted "the commitment and contribution" of Mr Poynton would be "integral" to "Crown's future success as a close associate of the Licensee" of its new Sydney casino.
It is understood Crown's biggest institutional shareholder, Perpetual, had believed Mr Poynton could add value on the board as its sole Perth-based director, but shared the regulators' concerns about his independence.
Mr Ponyton's resignation as a director of Crown Resorts and as chairman of Crown Perth closed the book on the old guard of the James Packer-backed company following a government inquiry's finding the company is unsuitable to operate a casino in NSW.
In a statement to the ASX on Monday Crown Resorts said Mr Poynton had resigned with immediate effect and, unusually for the company, explained that the NSW gambling regulator's opinion that he should step down was behind the move.
"John has been a member of the board of Crown since November 2018 and a director of Crown Perth since 2004. During that time, he has been enormously committed as a director, chairman of Crown Perth and through his service on board committees," executive chairman Helen Coonan said in the statement.
"The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) has advised Crown that it considers it appropriate that John step down as a director of all companies within the Crown group, due to a perceived lack of independence arising out of his past relationship with Mr James Packer and CPH, notwithstanding the recent termination of John's consultancy arrangement with CPH.
"As a result, John has agreed to resign in the best interests of Crown and our shareholders, despite no adverse findings by the commissioner in the ILGA Inquiry in relation to his suitability, integrity or performance. "On behalf of the board, I thank John for his contribution to Crown over many years."
The release contained no statement from Mr Poynton, who has previously said he would defend his independence from Mr Packer and hired a team of lawyers to advise him on his options.
The Australian understands Mr Poynton received a letter late last week from Arnold Bloch Leibler partner Leon Zwier, who is advising Ms Coonan.
The letter is believed to have requested him to resign, given the concerns surrounding his independence.
Mr Poynton considered his position over the weekend with his Melbourne-based Jones Day partner Tim L'Estrange, the former General Counsel and company secretary at ANZ Bank.
Crown's major institutional shareholders are said to have had growing concerns about Mr Poynton's position on the board given the public expressions from ILGA chairman Philip Crawford about his independence.
Mr Poynton had wanted to ensure there were no outstanding questions surrounding his suitability, integrity or performance.
Mr Poynton's departure comes after fellow directors Harold Mitchell, Andrew Demetriou, Guy Jalland and Michael Johnston resigned their positions in the wake of the ILGA inquiry into the company's suitability to operate its Barangaroo casino.
CEO Ken Barton, as well as company secretary Mary Manos and CLO Joshua Preston, have also resigned.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/crown-resorts-director-john-poynton-resigns-following-regulator-pressure/news-story/8383be8285049e1d330e269950635b43
#12930302 at 2021-02-15 04:36:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #13 - THE WAR IS REAL Edition
>>12889360
Resignations in the news
Crown CEO Ken Barton resigns following scathing report into casino giant
Ken Barton has stepped down as CEO and managing director of Crown Resorts following last week's scathing report into the gambling giant.
In a statement, Crown said it was determined to take "significant steps" to improve governance, compliance and culture.
Helen Coonan will lead the company as executive chairman while the board searches for a new CEO.
An investigation commissioned by NSW's Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority (ILGA) last week concluded Crown was unsuitable to operate a licence for its new Sydney casino in its current form.
A report by Commissioner Patricia Bergin found there was likely no future in the company for Mr Barton.
Mr Barton said in a statement he was committed to assisting with a leadership transition.
"I am absolutely certain the business is now on the right path as it works to restore confidence in its operations," he said.
Mr Barton has spent more than a decade with Crown, initially as its chief financial officer before being appointed as CEO in January 2020 as the Bergin inquiry began.
During his time at Crown he was also the director of two VIP bank accounts at the centre of money laundering allegations.
Commissioner Bergin found Mr Barton was "no match for what is needed at the helm of a casino licensee".
"His problems will not be cured by the appointment of people expert in the field who report to him", she stated in her final report.
She found Mr Barton should have launched a full investigation into money laundering allegations by the time the inquiry began.
Mr Barton was also accused of misleading shareholders at an annual general meeting in 2019 when he said "general" information was being shared between Crown and James Packer's company Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) when in reality that information was confidential.
"Mr Barton's conduct at the Annual General Meeting in October 2019 as the CFO of Crown was quite improper," the report stated.
"However his attempts in the witness box on 23 September 2020 to justify his conduct at the Annual General Meeting, were even more inappropriate for the CEO and director of Crown and director of the licensee.
"It demonstrated a serious lack of judgment and insight into the expectation of the highest standards of property, candour and co-operation of a director of a company that holds a casino licence."
Last week three Crown directors, Andrew Demetriou, Michael Johnston and Guy Jalland, also resigned, allowing the company to mount an "ambitious reform program", according to Ms Coonan.
Mr Packer's CPH cut its ties with Crown's board after terminating its consultancy contract with non-executive board member John Poynton.
Ms Coonan last week apologised for the company's "shortcomings" and said the criticism by the regulator was warranted.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-15/crown-ceo-ken-barton-resigns-after-sydney-casino-report/13154690
#2088188 at 2018-07-09 04:14:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #1
POSSIBLE NOTABLE
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-09/james-packer-resigns-from-consolidated-press-holdings-board/9958182
James Packer resigns from Consolidated Press Holdings board
Billionaire businessman James Packer has resigned from the board of his own family company, Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH), as he continues a recovery from mental health issues.
A CPH spokesperson confirmed the move.
CPH holds Mr Packer's 47 per cent stake in Crown and various other business interests.
Long-time Packer associate Guy Jalland is the chief executive of CPH, while another family lieutenant, John Alexander, is the executive chairman of Crown Resorts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-14/benjamin-netanyahu-israeli-police-recommend-bribery-charges/9444634
Benjamin Netanyahu: Israeli police recommend charging Prime Minister over alleged bribery
Police investigating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have recommended to Israel's Attorney-General that he be charged with bribery in two cases.
Mr Netanyahu, who denies wrongdoing, has been questioned several times since the start of 2017.
One of the two cases involves the receipt of gifts from businessmen, and the other is related to conversations Mr Netanyahu is alleged to have held with an Israeli newspaper publisher about limiting competition in the news sector in exchange for more positive coverage.
Australian billionaire James Packer is among those mentioned in one of the cases.