Hopes of a speedy trial for the 17 Crown Resorts staff who are being detained in China, including head of Crown's international VIP program Jason O'Connor, look to be fading after the Australian government said the laying of charges could be more than a year away.
As the casino staff, including three Australians, prepare to spend their fourth month in an unheated Shanghai jail for what has been described by Chinese officials as "gambling-related crimes", the Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a bleak assessment on the outlook.
"The Chinese investigation is ongoing and could continue for over a year," DFAT said in response to questions from The Australian Financial Review.
This adds to comments from Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, who was vague about the time frame for charges before Christmas, saying only they would be laid "considerably later" in the legal process.
It was previously believed the Crown staff would know what charges they were facing by mid-year, allowing for a trial and likely conviction in the months following.
A Crown spokesman declined to comment on the Department of Foreign Affairs statement.
James Packer, when returned to the Crown board last week, has said managing the China situation is one of his top priorities.
While the Crown staff and one other Australian, who does not work for the casino operator but was detained in connection with the case, are being held for "gambling-related crimes", they have not been told any details about what charges they may eventually face.
The group, which is being held at the Shanghai Detention Centre on the outskirts of the city, were formally arrested in mid-November and the Department of Foreign Affairs said consular officials had visited the Australians on December 21 and January 13.
Those who have previously been held in the Shanghai Detention Centre say inmates are housed in unheated, concrete floor cells with at least 15 other prisoners, who share a single toilet.
Temperatures in Shanghai this winter have regularly been below zero overnight and in the low single digits during the day.
It is understood Crown is seeking to have the Australians serve any custodial sentence back home, under a bilateral prisoner transfer agreement.
A group of South Korean casino staff convicted for similar gambling-related crimes in China were released last year after spending about 16 months in custody.
In announcing his return to the Crown board last week major shareholder James Packer said his top priority was "managing through the whole China situation".
He went on to say advocating on behalf of the Crown staff would be done "in a way that is respectful to China and in a way that best represents our staff".
The most senior Australian in custody is Mr O'Connor, who was visiting Shanghai when the raids took place.
Two of the other Australians being held are Jerry Xuan, the Beijing-based director of international marketing for Crown, and Pan Dan, who goes by the English name Jenny. The name of the fourth Australian has not been made public.
One local employee of Crown, Jenny Jiang, who worked in administration in Shanghai, was released on bail to the surprise of her family and lawyers.
Ms Jiang or her American husband, Jeff Sikkema, have not responded to calls or messages since her release in early November.
The Crown staff were detained after a series of overnight raids in at least four cities across China in mid-October.
The arrests are believed to be part of "Operation Chain Break", which is being managed by China's powerful Public Security Bureau.
It is aimed at stopping the flow of money between high-stakes gamblers on the mainland and casinos, not just in Macau, but also in neighbouring countries.
This is part of a broader effort by Beijing to prevent capital leaving the country and thereby relieve downward pressure on the yuan.
