FNM leader Hubert Minnis yesterday called for the immediate closure of illegal gambling and lottery operations, as law enforcement have more than enough justification to take action. Mr Minnis blasted police chief Ellison Greenslade and the government for “inordinate delay” following Chief Justice Michael Barnett’s decision to lift an interlocutory order that protected gaming web shops.
The party is lobbying for the immediate closure of all illegal gaming operations through the execution of search warrants to confiscate all “computer terminals, servers and ATM machines” used to facilitate transactions occurring at web shops or in private homes. Crown attorneys Lauren Klein, Darren Henfield, Darcell Williamson and Melissa Wright-Knowles, moved to have the January 30 court order lifted in a hearing before the Chief Justice a week ago.
They argued that operators had themselves admitted they were engaging in gaming and that such activities went outside of what they were licensed to do as web shop cafe operators. However, attorneys for the plaintiffs noted that the Crown did not dispute that there was a meeting between the operators and the Ministry of Finance in April 2010 when full disclosure of their operations was made to the government and their licenses were renewed. On April 10, Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett ruled that “the police must be allowed to enforce the law unless and until the law has been declared to be invalid.”
Concern has been raised that the Christie administration is attempting to dodge the issue of shutting down web shops as it appears that no one in government wants to take on the job of enforcing the law. Following the January referendum on web shop gaming, Prime Minister Perry Christie had announced that all web shops must close with immediate effect. On Wednesday, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said that although he was certain that the police force has enough personnel to do whatever needed to be done with web shops, he could not say what the plans were.
He said that it was not his job to direct the police chief, adding that officials would have to wait for the advice of Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson before making a decision on the way forward. Last week in response to public calls for the police to take action and shut down number houses everywhere, Mr Greenslade told The Tribune that the Force is now conducting a probe to see if web shop owners are deviating from the clauses of operation allowed in their business licenses. He also said he would not discuss how, when or what tactics the police would use to carry out the clampdown.
Yesterday, Mr Minnis said: “It is now the job of Mr Greenslade to do his best to enforce the law; to stop making what sounds like lame excuses, and to stop trying to anticipate the legal challenges which people who are breaking the law may try to raise. Let lawyers do the job of lawyers while you, Mr Commissioner, do the job for which we believe you to be fully qualified and capable, namely prevent crime, including ‘white collar and computerized gambling’ crimes.” Wayne Munroe, the attorney for several web shops, has filed an appeal and a stay of execution on the decision to drop the injunction. Mr Munroe said that in the interim it would be in the best interest of his clients for the government to shut them down, rather than them closing voluntarily. In an interview with Tribune Business, he said that if the Government chooses to act on the Chief Justice’s ruling it could set itself up for further legal action at the cost of taxpayers. Mr Munroe is representing Island Game, Island Luck, FML, Asue Draw, Whattfall and Chances.
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