Gambling case suspect remains a free man

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three days after being declared a suspect over allegations regarding the legalization of gambling at Tering Bay Resort, Nongsa district, Batam municipality, Riau, Buralimar remains a free man.

In fact, the head of Batam tourism agency is currently in Jakarta to participate in a workshop that lasts a month.

Batam municipality head of information and communications Hartoyo Sirkoen confirmed on Saturday that Buralimar was in Jakarta, but did not know when the suspect would return to Batam.

"If the Riau Police summon him, then Buralimar must come for questioning. The administration will provide a lawyer to accompany him during questioning," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Buralimar was declared a suspect on Wednesday as he, as a representative of the municipality, had signed a memorandum of understanding between the administration and PT Dewa Menara Wisata to allow the company to manage gambling.

The mayoralty issued bylaw No. 17/2001 on an exclusive integrated tourism resort to attract visitors to Batam island.

Local Muslim cleric Iskandar Zulkarnaen, representing religious leaders, called on Buralimar to be more transparent about the matter.

"We doubt that he could have signed an agreement without approval from a superior. We need to know who supervised him during the signing," he said.

Batam mayor Nyat Kadir was summoned by the police on May 14 as a witness. He was not named a suspect because, according to the police, it was Buralimar who signed the agreement.

"We are calling on Riau Police to carry out a thorough investigation and name any high-ranking officials who may have shares in the resort," said Iskandar.

"We also urge the police to summon the company's director, Candra Wijaya."

"The people in Batam deserves to know who is behind the promotion of gambling," he said.

Nyat Kadir said earlier that the bylaw was withdrawn, to limit the mushrooming of gambling dens in Batam.

Locals have strongly objected to the existence of gambling dens in the island, a sentiment that finally led to the closure of 46 casinos.

The central government has strict laws that ban gambling in whatever form, but gambling has persisted in Batam, which has attracted tourists from Malaysia and Singapore.