Former The Star CEO says he felt ‘under attack’ by casino licence inquiry

Casino operator The Star's former chief executive Robbie Cooke was the major witness giving evidence today at the Bell inquiry into The Star's suitability to hold a casino licence in New South Wales. Mr Cooke says he felt like he was "under attack" earlier this year, when The Star's special manager, Nicholas Weeks, arranged a private meeting with three law firms to discuss the casino's licence to operate. In response to discovering this private meeting was going ahead, Mr Cooke sought legal advice and exchanged text messages with the chairman David Foster, where they agreed to "prepare for war". It was also revealed a whistleblower complaint against Mr Cooke played a part in the board’s decision to oust him. Mr Cooke’s departure came amid worsening relations between The Star and the regulator, which sought to find whether the company was doing enough to reform its business practices which exposed it to criminal activities such as money laundering and fraud.