THE sacked former managing director of The Star casino, Sid Vaikunta, was employed on a temporary business visa, meaning he and his wife, Malavika, are likely to be forced to leave Australia within weeks.
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The casino announced last week that Mr Vaikunta's employment had ended ''after his behaviour in a social work setting'', which is understood to involve allegations of sexual harassment.
The news has prompted NSW gaming authorities to demand full details from the casino. The Hospitality Minister, George Souris, has raised questions about the timing of the announcement, which came shortly after completion of a statutory investigation into its licence renewal in December.
A spokeswoman for the casino's owner, Echo Entertainment Group, confirmed yesterday that Mr Vaikunta was no longer sponsored by the company for a 457 class visa.
''All proper notifications, including to the Department of Immigration, regarding Sid Vaikunta's employment ending have been made,'' she said. ''We are not sponsoring Mr Vaikunta in any way.''
While declining to comment on Mr Vaikunta's case, an Immigration Department spokesman said 457 visa holders who lose their jobs are given 28 days to find another sponsor or leave Australia. Mr Vaikunta's official departure date was February 2, meaning he would be required to leave the country by March 2. Echo Entertainment's annual report showed that Mr Vaikunta, who earned $2 million for the 12 months to last June 30, was paid ''relocation expenses and living away from home benefits'' as part of his package.
It is unclear if these benefits extended to paying the rent on his Bellevue Hill home.
The report also shows Mr Vaikunta was given 59,183 shares as an ''appointment incentive'' when he joined the company in 2009. The casino was demerged from Tabcorp last year and taken over by Echo Entertainment.
However, it is impossible to tell if Mr Vaikunta has sold any or all of his shares as there are no reporting requirements outside the annual report and Echo declined to give details. ''Details about Mr Vaikunta's remuneration entitlements that are required to be disclosed will be disclosed in the remuneration report,'' a spokeswoman said.
Temporary business visas are designed to allow employers to hire overseas to fill skilled positions in Australia for up to four years. Mr Vaikunta was hired from Borgata Casino in Atlantic City in 2009 on a four-year contract.
Correction: The headline on this article has been changed to accurately reflect the text.
