Casino operator Melco Resorts & Entertainment (MRE) has won its court challenge of an Australian gambling regulator’s demand for certain company documents.

On Tuesday, the New South Wales Supreme Court ruled that the NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) lacked the legal authority to compel MRE to produce documents detailing MRE CEO Lawrence Ho’s connections to companies linked to his father Stanley.

The ILGA launched its inquiry last year after MRE struck a deal to buy a nearly 20% stake in Australian casino operator Crown Resorts. NSW regulators had previously imposed a condition on Crown’s Sydney casino project that the company have no dealings with Stanley Ho due to his alleged ties to Hong Kong triads.

When the ILGA discovered that Lawrence Ho held director positions in companies linked to Stanley, it launched an inquiry into Lawrence’s suitability. MRE paused its Crown deal after acquiring the first 10% tranche but announced last week that it was abandoning its pursuit of the remaining 10%, saying it needed to focus on its existing operations in Macau and the Philippines while the coronavirus crisis rages on.