The chairman and chief executive of a Chinese company planning a casino in Samoa have been accused of corruption.
Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group has been granted a licence by the Samoan government to create a 500-room resort, including a casino. The company has been involved in big hotel and development projects across China.
However, according to Chinese media reports, chairman Deng Hong and his chief executive are being investigated over corruption linked to land deals. Communist Party anti-corruption officials have kept Hong in custody since March.
"I am disappointed," said Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. "What transpires at the present moment has something to do with domestic politics so all we can do is wait and see." The government is cautiously optimistic that the project will still go ahead.
