Bina Dana Sosial Foundation wants to provide island casino security
Bina Dana Sosial Foundation wants to provide island casino security
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Although denying that it has any relationship with the
military, the Bina Dana Sosial Foundation guaranteed on Thursday
the security of casinos in Kepulauan Seribu (the Thousand
Islands) if the agency were appointed to run them.
"If we were authorized to coordinate the amusement centers, we
guarantee that the security authorities would accept it. We could
discuss it with them," foundation chairman Rizaf Thaib said in
his office on Jl. Kendal, Menteng, Central Jakarta.
Several military-looking men, who wore dark safari suits, were
observed in the office, including the receptionist. A clock
carrying the logo of the presidential security guard hung on the
office wall.
Several luxury cars, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW sedans,
were parked in the front yard of the three-story office building,
which is located near the busy Jl. Blora area.
Rizaf's foundation was the first to propose to the regency
that it should coordinate the relocation of casinos in Jakarta to
the Thousand Islands.
According to the latest survey by the University of Indonesia
Institute for Social Institution Studies, the localization of
gambling in the islands would be rejected, mainly by military and
security officers, who received protection fees from gambling
centers now operating illegally in the city.
The institute revealed that a small casino in Kalijodo, West
Jakarta, contributed at least Rp 150 million (US$15,000) per
night. There are 13 large casinos operating illegally in the
city.
Rizaf claimed having experience in managing a "ball mastery
game" in the 1990s when he secured the approval from then state
minister of sports and youth affairs Hayono Isman.
He said that he imported the gaming machines via PT Indo Argo.
"Amusement centers, which operated the machines, contributed
funds for sports development to the minister's office," he said,
without mentioning the amounts involved.
He revealed that PT Indo Argo had cooperated, in running the
gaming machines, with businessman Arif Cho Chong, one of two big
bosses who own casinos here.
But Rizaf denied if he would work in cooperation with Arif or
the other boss, Tommy Winata, who is also the owner of Bank Artha
Graha.
"But if Arif or Tommy were to come to us, we could discuss the
possibility of cooperation in the matter," he said.
Arif was believed to have relations with certain senior police
officials, while Tommy, whose bank was partly owned by the Army's
foundation, was believed to have a close relationship with
military top brass.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's husband Taufik Kiemas met
Tommy in the latter's West Pantara island in the North Kepulauan
Seribu district last Saturday.
Regent Abdul Kadir, who met the men in his capacity as a
government official, claimed that Taufik and his daughter and
grandchildren were on vacation, saying that there was no talk of
gambling.
Rizaf Thaib said huge funds could be contributed to the city's
coffers if hundreds of "amusement centers", with a turnover
reaching trillions of rupiah, could legally operate in the
islands.
"We are ready to present our proposal to City Governor
Sutiyoso and the City Council," he said.
Separately, businessman Mahfud Djailani, who has been
nominated as a candidate for city governor, agreed that gambling
could be localized, but the regulations that ban gambling should
first be revoked.
"If the regulations were reviewed, localization would not be a
problem," Mahfud said.
The Criminal Code bans gambling unless it is permitted by the
authorities. A presidential decree bans gambling across the
country.