Taiwan court rejects former junket boss Levo Chan’s bid to extend residency right

The Administrative Court of Taiwan has decided to revoke the former junket tycoon and boss of Tak Chun Group, Levo Chan Weng Lin’s residency right on the island. The court justified its decision by citing Chan’s role as an advisor to the Jinjiang Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CCPPC) in Fujian. 

The Taiwanese authorities not only denied permission to renew his license but also denied his permit, prompting Chan to take the case to court. As per reports, Chan brought up the illegal gambling case against him in his appeal. The court, however, upheld the immigration agency’s decision to rescind Chan’s residency permit. Chan is allowed to appeal against the ruling. 

Levo Chan was the boss of now-defunct junket operator Tak Chun, and is married to a Taiwanese actress and singer Ady An Yi-xuan. He sought to renew his residence permit in Taiwan, which had expired in January 2022. Chan had applied for an extension to his right to stay in Taiwan on family reunion grounds, after securing a residence permit in August 2020.

Chan, known as Macau’s second-biggest junket boss, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in April this year after the country’s intense crackdown on junket operations. Chan was charged with 34 charges including organized crime, illicit gaming activities, fraud, as well as money laundering. During his trial, prosecutors accused the 51-year-old of attempting to flee to the island before his arrest in Macau.