Sri Lankan opposition party calls for James Packer arrest

The Sri Lankan opposition party has called for the arrest of James Packer who is due to attend the Commonwealth forum this week in the country, citing that the Australian billionaire of Crown Entertainment has no legal license to build the $400 million casino resort in Colombo.

Following strong opposition from religious and political opponents the Sri Lankan government has already suspended the issuing of licenses for casino resorts in the country, until a review of tax and licensing regulations are carried out.

Harsha de Silva, a representative of the main opposition United National Party, said the casino resort should be located offshore rather than in the heart of Colombo, where it would “pollute” customs. He also criticized the government’s promise of extremely low taxation for a decade on Packer’s investment.

“If the police can apply the law on small time casinos, then the police must also apply the same law on the big time casino operators,” de Silva told reporters after filing a complaint with the police. This follows the arrests of several low level illegal gambling dens in Colombo.

He said operating a casino without a license is a crime according to the “rule of the land”.

“We have reliable information that Mr Packer and his team have arrived here to plot, to commit this crime,” he said, adding he had urged police to investigate and take action to ensure that no crime is committed.

Mr de Silva said it was unlikely police would arrest or detain Mr Packer, who is scheduled to speak at a Commonwealth Business forum this week, coinciding with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo.