Star special manager, former senior staff to get ball rolling on second inquiry

Star Entertainment Group’s special manager Nick Weeks, former chief financial officer Christina Katsibouba and former chief legal officer Betty Ivanoff are some of the key executives to give evidence next week, as Adam Bell SC prepares to determine the fate of the casino group for the second time in two months.

Bell was engaged by the NSW Independent Casino Commission last month to conduct a second probe into the Pyrmont business following concerns it has failed to reform its culture since the regulator suspended its licence to operate its casino in October 2022.

The business may be closed if the second inquiry deems The Star unfit to operate the casino, putting 3000 jobs and billions of dollars in revenue for the NSW government at risk.

Special manager Nicholas Weeks – who has held Star Sydney’s casino licence since it was confiscated– will be the first to give evidence on Monday. He will be followed by a series of current and former executives who have held senior roles at The Star since the last inquiry’s report was handed down.

Robbie Cooke, The Star’s former chief executive who quit two weeks ago, is not listed to appear next week but is expected to be announced to appear later this month, along with chair David Forster who has stepped into an executive chair role while a replacement for Cooke is found.

Former chief financial officer Katsibouba and former head of customer George Hughes are set to appear after Weeks. Katsibouba and Hughes resigned at separate points last month and were two of the five senior executives who kept their roles at The Star following the first inquiry.

The NSW regulator and some major shareholders at the ASX-listed business had made clear to The Star that all executives connected to the past leadership should not continue to work at the company.

The business’ former chief legal officer Ivanoff left The Star about four months into her tenure last year and was the former group counsel at rival Crown Resorts and Coca-Cola Amatil. She is one of the few executives who has held a senior role at both casino groups.

Former company secretary Nawal Silfani, managing values principal Dr Attracta Lagan, patron liaison manager Ron Wagemans, head of risk Eileen Vuong and head of gaming Peter Humphreys, who briefly acted as interim chief executive of The Star’s Sydney business, have also been summoned.