Five casino employees in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet town are being detained in provincial prison for allegedly colluding with clients, according to family members.
Chan Touch, the father of one of the employees at DNA Star Casino, told The Post on Sunday that his 18-year-old son Ten Raksmey was detained on Saturday after he was accused by the unidentified casino owner of helping casino clients win.
“I don’t know what to do or who can help me. I’m just a poor farmer and don’t know anything about legal procedures. I was told I could meet my son in 15 days,” he said.
Khun Touch, the father of another of the detained, said his 17-year-old daughter called him two days after she was held.
Citing his daughter’s accounts, Touch said the casino owner accused her of colluding with clients on grounds that the tables on which she dealt cards lost a lot more money than the others.
He said the owner claimed to have recorded the employees’ activities through the casino’s CCTV cameras, an accusation he dismissed as false.
“The camera did not capture anything to prove my daughter’s guilt. The casino simply accused the employees [without solid evidence],” he said.
Touch said the casino initially held 15 of its employees against their will on Wednesday. While 10 of them were released on Saturday, the other five were sent to the provincial prison.
Ieng Vannak, the casino’s chief security guard, declined to comment on Sunday and referred reporters to the court.
Provincial court spokesperson Roeun Lina said he was unaware of the case, while provincial police chief Ath Khem could not be reached for comment by The Post on Sunday.
Sum Chankea, the provincial coordinator for rights groups Adhoc, said the detained employees only received tips from clients who reportedly won more than 100,000 Thai baht ($3,150) from the casino.
“The tips were distributed to dealers on the table. The casino’s monitoring camera can prove it. But the employer still accused them of colluding with clients."
“Those who open gambling places should be more open-minded because anybody can win in gambling – sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” he said, urging for a thorough investigation into the case.
