It is no secret that the casino business flourished under the knowledge and participation of a section of local political leaders and "public representatives," while it also thrived before the eyes of local administration and law enforcement officials, some of whom were allegedly among beneficiaries. The range of illegality around the casino scandal, public procurement and other forms of abuse of politically linked power, as then exposed by the drive, were scandalous – though not surprising. The series of appalling crime stories like the brutal killing of Buet student Abrar Fahad and the brazen harassment of Phulpori Khatun at the Islamic University in Kushtia has been systematically exposing the normalisation of criminalised politics, with academic institutions as training grounds. Their role models, colluders and protectors are within the power structure and sustain the supply chain of the worrisome deepening and widening of corruption in the name of political affiliation.Īnother dimension of the abuse of politically linked power is the ever-increasing criminality of student politics, as manifested through endless examples of unlimited expertise of the dominant sections of today's "student leaders" in all conceivable categories of power abuse and relevant illegal activities. The strategic importance and role of such cadres for the zero-sum game of politics was never in doubt, nor did it need rocket science to understand that their peers and cohorts are already spread all around and have captured every aspect of life. Over the years, this licence has been blessed, protected and promoted by beneficiaries among power-holders and duty-bearers in political, business, administrative, law enforcement and related institutional infrastructures.īut there was always the possibility that the drive was going to be an eyewash not merely because those directly targeted by the drive were just the front-liners, but also because they represented only the tip of the iceberg. Positions of power acquired through various means, including financial, governmental, and above all political, sometimes real but often also manipulated, have long been allowed to be treated as a licence for self-enrichment through various illicit means, irrespective of whichever party is in power. The police believe that the operation took HK$10m every month, with a single bet of HK$100,000 having been placed when the police analysed the records.Īccording to the Gambling Ordinance, if someone is convicted of bookmaking or operating premises for facilitating bookmaking, they could be fined HK$5m and face seven years in jail.As shocking as such evidence of criminalisation of politics is, it is hardly surprising. They then asked gamblers to pay cash when closing the accounts, which was done to make it harder for the police to trace them.Īlong with the HK$10m and betting records, the police also managed to confiscate a “huge number” of phones, computers, currency-counting machines and a pile of bank documents. It was reported that the men took bets from gamblers on match days through social media or phone. The police raided three premises in Kowloon and New Territories, including a hotel room in Hung Hom, which was used by the organisation as an illegal betting centre. It is believed that one of the men was the “mastermind” of the project, whilst the other two were seen as “core members”. Three men, aged 26 to 38, were arrested during the early hours of Thursday, charged for bookmaking and operating premises for the facilitating of bookmaking. The police were also able to confiscate cash worth over HK$10m, and betting records that confirmed the operation was worth more than HK$120m.
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