Australian billionaire James Packer, former shareholder of Crown Resorts, is facing another lawsuit from a security guard he allegedly assaulted in 2016. The guard, Dr Iskandar Chaban, claimed that Packer assaulted him after failing to recognize him, and is now accusing the businessman and his team of avoiding paying the legal fees from the initial settlement.
The original incident occurred on New Year’s Day in 2016 at Crown Melbourne, where Chaban did not initially recognize Packer and tried to prevent him from entering the venue. This reportedly enraged Packer, who allegedly pushed and berated the older security guard, threatening to have him fired. Chaban was then allegedly bullied by managers and forced to give up his uniform before being escorted to a nearby train station.
Following the incident, Chaban sought medical treatment for neck and back injuries, as well as a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from the alleged bullying. Packer and Crown initially settled with Chaban for AUD 100,000, agreeing to cover his legal fees on a no-admission basis. However, Chaban claims in the new lawsuit that Packer and the casino company did not follow through on covering his legal costs, which totaled AUD 185,000 for his lawyers and AUD 77,000 in lawsuit costs.
While Crown Resorts has stated that it did not breach the settlement, the Victorian Supreme Court has ordered both parties to attend mediation in December to address the ongoing dispute.
In the midst of these legal proceedings, workers at Crown Melbourne had recently threatened to strike due to dissatisfaction with their working conditions. However, the strike was ultimately called off as the workers reached an agreement with the casino company.
The ongoing legal battle and worker unrest at Crown Melbourne continue to put the spotlight on James Packer and his association with Crown Resorts.