Poker site offices raided in Costa Rica

Poker site offices raided in Costa Rica

Saturday, 7 May 2011

The Costa Rican offices of Innovative Data Solutions (IDS), the former customer service centre for Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, have been raided by the Organismo de Investigaciones Judiciale (OIJ), the island's equivalent of the FBI.

According to a statement released by Blanca Games, the parent company of the Cereus Poker Network, the purpose of the OIJ action was “to further their investigation of Olman Rimola, the owner of IDS, Scott Tom, who was also recently named in the indictment list issued by the Department of Justice on April 15th, and a third lesser known party, Oldemar Vargas.”


A company spokesperson said, "We want to correct the rumors being reported in poker circles and the wider community that yesterday's events are related to the recent Department of Justice indictments. Our understanding is that this is not the case, and that they were driven by local investigations of a separate matter in Costa Rica that involves a concerted effort to locate and apprehend Rimola, Tom and Vargas for questioning in relation to a money laundering investigation."


The statement went on to reveal that “Blanca has terminated its supplier contract with IDS after discovering that Rimola has misappropriated millions in IDS severance payments,” and that the firm is “exploring all legal options available to recover the lost funds”.


Blanca stressed that is co-operating with the Costa Rican authorities “in order to coordinate an alternative method to remit all severance payments to IDS employees, thereby bypassing the facilities of IDS and Rimola to ensure that all obligations to former employees are fulfilled.”


PokerStars has confirmed that it also received a brief visit from local law enforcement agencies but reopened shortly afterwards. PokerStars spokesman Steve Day posted on TwoPlusTwo.com that the action was in “response to problems experienced by other local companies in the same industry”.


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Tags: Absolute Poker