The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday said the hiring of former Gaming Board Chairman Terah Rahming by Chances Games raises questions over the decisions the former board executive made while carrying out her duties in this post.

“Was she working in the best interest of the Gaming Board or was she working in the best interest of herself in securing employment after coming out of the Gaming Board?” the minister with responsibility for gaming said in an interview with The Tribune following the morning session of Parliament.

However, Mr D’Aguilar said he had no idea of whether there were any specific instances where decisions made by Ms Rahming may have been in favour of Chances.

The Tribune sought comment from Ms Rahming yesterday, but attempts were unsuccessful up to press time.

He said: “Obviously this problem is presenting itself for the first time where the former chairman of the Gaming Board has gone and joined one of the gaming operators. You know standing from the outside it looks a little unseemly that they should transition quite so quickly from the position of chairman of the gaming board into a gaming operator.

“Immediately everyone is concerned. Obviously, there was an intimate relationship going on there to allow such a sudden move. So one has to question the decision of the former chairman. Was she working in the best interest of the gaming board or was she working in the best interest of herself in securing employment after coming out of the gaming board?

“But I must say the Gaming Board has to approve every employee and every executive who works in a gaming house and no such application has been made as yet I am told. So that’s where we are. Everyone is saying it, but there’s been no application made yet.”

Asked whether he could point to any specific instance where she may have shown bias toward the web shop where she is now employed, Mr D’Aguilar said: “I wouldn’t say that. I have no idea. I don’t know that yet because it’s only just come to our attention and obviously it would require us to go back over the minutes and look for that specific issue.”

The recent hire has exposed a loophole in the Gaming Act 2014, with insiders telling the Tribune it has raised grave concerns.

The Gaming Act 2014 does not prohibit employees moving from the regulator into the private sector.