Casino Scheme
Arraignments on Friday for two Lincoln Park Employees
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The chief executive officer for the owner of Lincoln Park has agreed to face charges he participated in a bribery scheme and is expected to be arraigned on Friday. Nigel Potter's attorney said his client will travel from London for his appearance in U.S. District Court. Potter, of Wembley plc, and Lincoln Park Chief Executive Officer Daniel Bucci are accused of conspiring to pay a Pawtucket law firm $4.5 million to obtain more lottery terminals at the dogtrack and gambling facility. Both have temporarily stepped down.
"I did not ask anyone �to� do anything improper or expect anyone to do anything wrong," Potter said in a statement release Tuesday by his attorney, C. Leonard O'Brien. "I never suggested bribing anyone. I never agreed that anyone would be given a bribe."
O'Brien told The Providence Journal "critical information" is missing from the government's probe into the alleged scheme. "Some of the material which was not provided (in the indictment) is extraordinarily important in assessing what Nigel Potter understood and intended in this case," he told the newspaper. He would not elaborate.
Former House Speaker John Harwood is a partner in the law firm named in the 22-count indictment handed up on Sept. 9. Neither he nor his law firm have been charged. Daniel McKinnon, Harwood's law partner and the alleged potential recipient of the proposed bribe, also has not been charged.
The arraignment is expected to be handled by Magistrate Robert Lovegreen, after fellow judge David Martin recused himself on Monday for unspecified reasons. O'Brien said his client hopes his cooperation would persuade the courts to allow him to remain in England while the charges are pending.
Meanwhile, Wembley board chairman and current manager Claes Hultman, is expected to meet Tuesday with Gov. Don Carcieri
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