Taiwanese actress Ady An, wife of imprisoned former Macau junket Tak Chun CEO Levo Chan, has lost a legal battle to withdraw nearly NT$200 million ($6.1 million) from her husband’s frozen bank accounts in Taiwan, with a court ruling the funds were linked to illegal gambling operations.
The case sheds new light on the financial fallout from Chan’s 2022 arrest and subsequent 14-year prison sentence for running an illicit gambling syndicate through his junket group, Tak Chun Group.
According to court documents cited by Taiwanese media, An—best known for her roles in Taiwanese idol dramas—sought to access a foreign currency account Chan opened in June 2020, holding HK$50 million ($6.4 million) and US$200,000 ($6 million).
After Chan’s arrest in January 2022, An filed a lawsuit in July of the same year claiming spousal proxy rights to manage the account. However, the court dismissed her petition, citing NT$1.65 million ($50,700) in unpaid legal fees.
In a revised December 2023 filing, An scaled down her request, asking for just $64,546 to cover mortgage payments. But the court upheld the freeze, ruling the funds were tied to Chan’s money-laundering operations through Tak Chun’s VIP gambling arm, known as ‘Tak Chun Premium Club’.
Macau authorities previously stated that Chan disguised illicit gambling proceeds as legitimate revenue, funneling them through his Bank of China accounts before transferring portions to Taiwan.
The Taiwanese court noted Chan failed to prove the funds’ legality, and banks acted properly under anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. Chan also previously had his request for renewal of residency in Taiwan denied due to the case.
The ruling in 2022 was part of the crackdown on Macau’s once-lucrative junket industry, which collapsed following high-profile arrests in the area. Chan’s case mirrors that of former Suncity Group’s CEO Alvin Chau, and who is serving an 18-year sentence for similar charges.
An, who married Chan in 2017, has kept a low profile since his imprisonment. The couple, now separated for over two years, faces further financial strain as the frozen accounts remain out of reach.
Legal experts cited by Taiwanese media say the verdict sets a precedent for cross-border AML enforcement, signaling tougher scrutiny on high-net-worth individuals tied to Macau’s gambling underworld.
