The Authority is trying to determine whether he is a “suitable” person to own a casino in Britain.
Mr. Kerzner has made a name for himself building sprawling touristic empires around the world including a five star Paradise Island property.
More than a week ago, news broke that Kerzner was trying to buy the Millennium Dome, a run down facility in the UK and transform it into a Las Vegas style casino. It was the latest planned project for Kerzner International in a slew of others like the costly expansion of the Atlantis property and the acquisition of the Club Mediterranae property here.
Just recently the company also won a $650 million contract to build an Arabian inspired resort in Dubai.
Derek Aldridge of the British gambling council reportedly said that authorities viewed the bribery allegations in a serious light.
British media reported that the probe is because of claims that Kerzner allegedly bribed the former premier of Transkei George Matanzima for exclusive gaming rights in 1986.
The charge was reportedly dropped when the man who allegedly handled the bribe died.
Speaking from London, Kerzner said he had gambling licences in Connecticut, New Jersey and the Bahamas and that “this speaks for itself”.
The British government built the Millennium Dome to house the 2012 Olympic Games but it has become an embarrassment for the ruling Labour Party. It was closed in 2001 and has an expensive maintenance bill.
Kerzner International’s Atlantis project is the jewel in the crown of local private sector employment. Once the third phase of the company’s plans is up and running, it is projected that 10,000 in total would be employed.
Kerzner’s investment and business acumen has made him a fortune in the gaming and hotel industry.
The Bahama Journal
