Sugar Ray Robinson

‘Sugar’ Ray, an ATSIC commissioner, refuses to answer questions on cheque cashing as it might incriminate him. Damn right it might but he’s in court on fraud charges and the truth will out.

ATSIC commissioner “Sugar” Ray Robinson took to the stand yesterday in his fraud trial and twice refused to answer questions on the grounds he might incriminate himself.

Mr Robinson’s gambling habits also came under close scrutiny with claims he put $4.3 million through the poker machines at Brisbane’s Treasury Casino over three years.

$4.3 million bloody dollars through the poker machines!

Mr Hunter put it to him that records from the Brisbane casino showed he had spent $4.3million from January 2001 to August 2004. Mr Robinson denied he had spent that amount, saying the casino’s recording system did not accurately reflect the amount gamblers actually put into the machines.

I was once a licenced poker machine operator and believe me, that’s exactly what the machines and computers do record. The amount fed in and the amount paid out. If he is using a card then believe the figures.

“The machines roll around for three to four hours,” he said. “You can have $50,000 or $60,000 registered on the machines when you only put in $100.”

Yeah. Right mate. Everybody gets 50 or 60k for a $100 outlay particularly when the industry works on an 85% return.

When a Crown prosecutor accused the former ATSIC deputy chairman of cashing an indigenous housing company cheque for $6000 and depositing $2900 in his personal bank account Mr Robinson refused to answer, saying: “It may incriminate me.”

It goes on and on and Aborigines wonder why the Government are in the process of gutting ATSIC.