Goa minister’s aide held for threatening casino management

September 30th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco was once again arrested and released by the Crime Branch Wednesday, this time in a case of threatening and criminal intimidation, police said. Pacheco, a National Congress Party (NCP) legislator, against whom this is the fifth criminal case booked in the last few years, was arrested this morning after he drove to the Crime Branch from the Secretariat, where he had addressed a press conference.

September 29th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa Crime Branch officials Tuesday quizzed Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco for nearly two hours in connection with a casino extortion case registered against the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator. Mickky was booked by the Crime Branch Sep 17 for allegedly extorting Rs.3.69 lakh, assaulting casino staffers and threatening them with dire consequences.

September 19th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco was Saturday granted interim bail by a district court in Margao. He was booked two days ago for allegedly threatening and extorting money from a casino.

September 18th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa Tourism Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco Friday said vested political interests were gunning for him, especially in view of the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Pacheco has been booked by the Crime Branch of the state police on charges of threatening and extorting money from an onshore casino management to the tune of Rs.360,000.

September 17th, 2009 PANAJI - The crime branch of Goa Police Thursday booked controversial state Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco for extortion and threatening a casino employee, officials said. A police spokesman said that Mickky, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator, had extorted Rs.3.69 lakh from the management of 'Treasures' casino at the Majorda beach resort in South Goa, in the wee hours of June 1.

September 10th, 2009 Chinese govt to help finish Revel's AC casinoATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Revel Entertainment has turned to the Chinese government for help finishing the lavish casino it is building on Atlantic City's Boardwalk.

September 8th, 2009 PANAJI - Offshore and onshore casinos in Goa will shut down Wednesday in protest against the state government's decision to sharply hike the entry fee from Rs.200 to Rs.2,000 per person. "The steep hike is throttling business," Casino Association of Goa (CAG) spokesperson Narinder Punj told reporters Tuesday.

August 5th, 2009 Casino operator MGM Mirage shuffles managementLAS VEGAS — Casino operator MGM Mirage has realigned its management and created an executive position to oversee 11 properties, its chief executive said Wednesday. Chairman and CEO Jim Murren told employees in an e-mail that the Las Vegas-based company's board appointed Corey Sanders to the new position of chief operating officer for core brand properties.

July 30th, 2009 PANAJI - In a collective response to the "tough" measures proposed in Goa's additional budget 2009-10, the offshore casino industry has objected to the proposed 10-fold increase in the entry fee to casino vessels from Rs.200 to Rs.2,000. In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar Monday, the Association of Offshore Casinos (AOC) has asked the government to whittle down the proposed enhanced entry fee from Rs.2,000 to Rs.500.

July 1st, 2009 PANAJI - Goa Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao Wednesday said here that most casinos in the state are operated by a Nepali cartel, which fleeces patrons with a measly two percent pay out ratio. I have been playing in casinos in so many places since 1974.

June 22nd, 2009 PANAJI - Saying that "ministers going to casinos is bad", Goa Congress chief Subhash Shirodkar Monday said the involvement of Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) cabinet ministers in casino-related controversies was "in bad taste". I can only say that the casino episode is in bad taste, Shirodkar said at a press conference at the party headquarters here.

June 21st, 2009 Police: Lone man robs Puerto Rico hotel-casinoSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Police in Puerto Rico's capital are searching for a lone man who robbed $340,000 from a popular hotel and casino by threatening a supervisor's family. A police statement says the robber approached the supervisor at the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino before dawn Sunday and showed a note threatening him and specific members of his family.

June 21st, 2009 PANAJI - Facing criminal charges for allegedly cheating Goa Tourism Minister Francisco Pacheco of Rs.1.25 crore in gambling winnings, a casino firm has alleged that Pacheco in fact owed it Rs.30 lakh in dues. Gerald Fernandes, general manager of the Update Recreation and Gaming Pvt Ltd (URGPL) casino, which runs the Treasures casino at Majorda beach resort, has filed a police complaint against Pacheco.

June 19th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa's Tourism Minister Francisco Pacheco along with an aide have been accused of threatening and criminally intimidating the management of a casino. Pacheco's actions have prompted the leader of the opposition Manohar Parrikar to demand that the minister be sacked from the state cabinet.

June 18th, 2009 PANAJI - Goa Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco has accused a casino operator, working out of a popular five-star resort in South Goa, of not paying him Rs.1.25 crore that he had won at the casino last month. In a complaint filed at the Colva police station, the controversial Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Mickky Pacheco has said that the management of Treasures, a licensed casino operating at the Majorda beach resort, had denied him his winnings in the casino between May 15 to May 22 this year.