Crown Resorts will be forced to front royal commissions in Victoria and Western Australia at the same time, as both inquiries gear up to run concurrent hearings to meet tight deadlines set by the state governments.
The WA hearings to probe the future of Crown’s casino licence in Perth will begin on Monday, May 10, and are expected to run for three weeks led by royal commission chair Neville Owen, a former WA Supreme Court judge.
The WA gaming regulator, the Gaming and Wagering Commission, will be grilled next week for its failure to prevent money laundering at the Perth casino. Crown’s executives are expected to take the stand in the following weeks.
Five witnesses from the GWC will appear at the inquiry next week: chairman Duncan Ord, members Barry Sargeant and Katie Hodson-Thomas, former chief casino officer Michael Connolly and current chief officer Mark Beecroft.
Mr Connolly was stood aside in February after questions were asked about his friendship and fishing trips with senior Crown staff. He will have his own lawyer on hand when called to give evidence to the state’s royal commission into the gaming giant
