Super Casino Panel Declares Conflict of Interest
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is now facing new questions after it emerged that all the members of the panel tasked to pick the location of Britain's first super casino have declared a conflict of interest.
The five-member Casino Advisory Panel that holds the decision where the super casino will be located has admitted to a total of 44 interests between them. This number includes shareholdings in leisure groups and links to government departments.
Prescott denied having any role in the decision-making process on who will be the winning bidder for the super casino license. However, it has brought to light that he chaired a key meeting that determined the creation of the 'independent' panel.
Prescott has been facing allegations of breaking the ministerial code after it was revealed that he has vacationed in the ranch of one of the super casino bidders businessman Philip Anschutz. It was also reported that Prescott was given an elaborate cowboy outfit as a gift during his stay.
The Colorado stay and six other previous meetings with Anschutz were not declared by Prescott.
Anschutz is the owner of the Millennium Dome in London, one of the eight candidate locations for the super casino.
A spokeswoman for the panel said: "Any conflict of interest was dealt with by a very robust process that ensured panel representatives did not propose or influence views where there was a real or perceived conflict of interest." |
