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Canada Asks Casino to Refuse Accused Murderer Gambling Winnings
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA --
A man who won $364,000 at a casino in Canada Sunday found himself denied his winnings Monday after his arrest in a notorious murder. Sophon Sek was charged with manslaughter in a massacre of six people that has been considered an organized crime operation, and the country's officials acted to keep him from collecting his casino gambling prize if he makes bail.
Sek won a poker tournament at River Rock Casino, earning the $364,000. But his arrest and booking for the murders of six people in 2007, known as the Surrey Six, has caused the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to instruct casino operators to "withhold the funds, at this time," according to a casino spokesman.
The issue becomes one of due process, as Sek's lawyers say he is innocent until proven guilty, and an innocent man should be able to collect his money. The presumption of innocence is a concept law enforcement in both Canada and the US have had difficulty with, especially insofar as it involves forfeitures of huge sums of money.
Some critics have said that the currently popular method of combating crime through fiscal seizures has led to dangerous legal precedents violating individual rights. The ability to generate massive profit by seizure has police taking action based on suspicion rather than conviction, disregarding due process.
Sek had been awarded a claim ticket after his win Sunday, but was unable to return to the casino Monday due to his arrest. Police refused to comment on the denial of Sek's prize as part of "an ongoing investigation."
"We do have due process in this country and police can't just go about seizing money because they say you are a bad guy," said Sek attorney Alan Ip.
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