Gambling case suspect remains a free man<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Three days after being declared a suspect over allegations
\nregarding the legalization of gambling at Tering Bay Resort,
\nNongsa district, Batam municipality, Riau, Buralimar remains a
\nfree man.<\/p>\n
In fact, the head of Batam tourism agency is currently in
\nJakarta to participate in a workshop that lasts a month.<\/p>\n
Batam municipality head of information and communications
\nHartoyo Sirkoen confirmed on Saturday that Buralimar was in
\nJakarta, but did not know when the suspect would return to Batam.<\/p>\n
\"If the Riau Police summon him, then Buralimar must come for
\nquestioning. The administration will provide a lawyer to
\naccompany him during questioning,\" he was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
Buralimar was declared a suspect on Wednesday as he, as a
\nrepresentative of the municipality, had signed a memorandum of
\nunderstanding between the administration and PT Dewa Menara
\nWisata to allow the company to manage gambling.<\/p>\n
The mayoralty issued bylaw No. 17\/2001 on an exclusive
\nintegrated tourism resort to attract visitors to Batam island.<\/p>\n
Local Muslim cleric Iskandar Zulkarnaen, representing
\nreligious leaders, called on Buralimar to be more transparent
\nabout the matter.<\/p>\n
\"We doubt that he could have signed an agreement without
\napproval from a superior. We need to know who supervised him
\nduring the signing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Batam mayor Nyat Kadir was summoned by the police on May 14 as
\na witness. He was not named a suspect because, according to the
\npolice, it was Buralimar who signed the agreement.<\/p>\n
\"We are calling on Riau Police to carry out a thorough
\ninvestigation and name any high-ranking officials who may have
\nshares in the resort,\" said Iskandar.<\/p>\n
\"We also urge the police to summon the company's director,
\nCandra Wijaya.\"<\/p>\n
\"The people in Batam deserves to know who is behind the
\npromotion of gambling,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nyat Kadir said earlier that the bylaw was withdrawn, to limit
\nthe mushrooming of gambling dens in Batam.<\/p>\n
Locals have strongly objected to the existence of gambling
\ndens in the island, a sentiment that finally led to the closure
\nof 46 casinos.<\/p>\n
The central government has strict laws that ban gambling in
\nwhatever form, but gambling has persisted in Batam, which has
\nattracted tourists from Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gambling-case-suspect-remains-a-free-man-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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