Xi Jinping's cousin embroiled in casinos and money laundering

The investigation of a TV broadcaster and two newspapers shows the links between Crown Resorts, which specializes in casinos and gambling, and members of the Australian parliament and policemen to facilitate trips for rich Chinese to Melbourne and Perth. The investigation lasted six months. The trips to Australia were organized by Shanghai.

Sydney (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The cousin of Chinese President Xi Jinping (see photo) and other Chinese Communist Party personalities are accused of being part of a scandal involving the Crown Resorts company, specializing in casinos and gambling, along with members of the Australian Parliament and policemen.

A six-month investigation by the "60 Minutes" broadcaster and the newspapers "The Age" and "The Sydney Morning Herald" led to the collection of tens of thousands of documents showing  ties between Crown resorts, criminal organizations and figures of the Chinese Communist Party. The investigation revealed that Xi Jinping's cousin, Ming Chai, was among the passengers of a privatel uxury jet, made available to the casino, and that he was inspected by Australian federal agents on suspicion of money laundering.

Police searches found that members of the Victoria State law enforcement agencies were paid by members of the Chinese Communist Party to ensure safety for passengers on luxury jets. The trips were organized by Crown Resorts to bring wealthy Chinese to Melbourne and Perth, to gamble and launder money. Crown also had an office in Shanghai, from where the trips were organised.

Jenny Jiang, a former Crown administrator in Shanghai, revealed that the company had the ability to facilitate visas for Chinese VIPs through the Australian Consulate in Shanghai.

The investigation shows that there was a special "emergency line" between Crown and members of the Consulate staff to quickly receive visas for wealthy casino customers.

In an interview released on the evening of 28 July last on "60 Minutes," a laid-off commissioner of the border forces, Roman Quaedvlieg stated that he was encouraged by several members of the Australian parliament, including two ministers, to help the Crown to find a "fast track" to get rich Chinese to Australia.

A spokesman for the Australian interior ministry denied that Crown had special conditions for obtaining visas and that all requests were treated equally.