Bomb Threat At ACT Dome A Hoax

Details

police

Friday, 15 June 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - Normal operations at the Antigua Computer Technology Dome Building off-Old Parham Road were disrupted Thursday afternoon when an anonymous caller reported that a bomb was planted in the Building.

Managing Director of ACT, Solomon Doumith, confirmed that his receptionist received the call around 1:30 pm and that the entire building, which also houses the off-shore gaming company, Bodog, was immediately evacuated.

He said a report was made to the police who responded by dispatching an anti-bomb squad to conduct a thorough search of the building.

Over one hundred employees of the gaming company along with ACT staff members filed outside while the police conducted the search.

At the end of the search, the search team reported that they had not found any suspicious packages or items and the employees were advised to return to their duties.

However, some of the employees of the gaming company said they were particularly concerned about the threat as on more than one occasion, employees whose employment were terminated for whatever reason, have been heard to make threats against the company.

After voicing their reluctance to re-enter the building, the police carried out a second search to allay their fears and it was only then that the employees slowly returned to their tasks.

Director at Bodog, Robert Davies, said the company also took the threat seriously as he confirmed that they will close their Antigua operations within three weeks, a move that will send some one hundred and fifty persons on the unemployment line.

“We are moving our operations to the Philippines as the cost of doing business there is much cheaper. We plan to take a few workers with us but for the most part we will let go the majority of them,” he explained.

The move is the latest blow to an industry that at one time employed thousands of Antiguans.

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