USA: NEW YORK BOWLING ALLEY TO RETURN $1.3 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT RUMOURED TO HAVE COME FROM YASSER ARAFAT.
Record ID:
648821
USA: NEW YORK BOWLING ALLEY TO RETURN $1.3 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT RUMOURED TO HAVE COME FROM YASSER ARAFAT.
- Title: USA: NEW YORK BOWLING ALLEY TO RETURN $1.3 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT RUMOURED TO HAVE COME FROM YASSER ARAFAT.
- Date: 24th December 2004
- Summary: (U7) NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 23, 2004) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/CU: EXTERIOR OF BOWLING ALLEY (3 SHOTS) 0.15 2. CU: AUTOGRAPHED BOWLING PINS; BOWLING PIN WITH RUDY GIULIANI'S NAME (3 SHOTS) 0.25 3. GV: PRESS CONFERENCE 0.29 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) THOMAS SHANNON, CEO OF STRIKE HOLDINGS, OWNER OF THE BOWLING ALLEY, SAYING: "Having worked through the night with the attorneys, we are rescinding the investments in question and all ties to those investors are being severed. Further by the end of the day, the money will be placed in escrow until a mechanism to return the funds can be finalized. This is important. No dividends have ever been paid on these funds and they are being returned at their purchase price. Let me emphasize that again. No money has ever been returned against the initial money invested. The money came here, no money has ever flowed back at all, not a penny." 1.11 (U7) HEBRON, WEST BANK (FILE - JANUARY 19, 1997) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5. GV/CU: YASSER ARAFAT'S FIRST ARRIVAL IN HEBRON; ARAFAT WAVING TO CROWDS IN HEBRON (2 SHOTS) 1.23 (U7) NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 23, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6. GV/PAN/GV: PEOPLE BOWLING IN BOWLING ALLEY (3 SHOTS) 1.41 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED JEWISH WOMAN SAYING: "Well, we heard the rumour upstairs and we are just not interested in supporting a business that is funded on blood and terror. Merry Christmas. And we are leaving." 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANDRA SAYING: "I would not, definitely not. I have my principles." 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRUDIE SAYING: "I find that amazing, I didn't even know about it. Yes, yes I am shocked." 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEJA FLYNN SAYING: "It's just money, there is probably no real terrorist activity going on in the bowling alley." 2.16 11. GV/PAN: WOMEN BOWLING 2.22 (U7) MARYLAND, WASHINGTON, D.C. UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 23, 1998) (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) 12. MV/GV: ARAFAT AND U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON (3 SHOTS) 2.34 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 8th January 2005 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES/MARYLAND, WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES/ HEBRON, WEST BANK
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVABJ36324TCQY9CD8SUPEAL8LNV
- Story Text: A fashionable New York bowling alley says it will
return a $1.3 million dollar investment that is rumoured to
have come from Yasser Arafat.
A fashionable Manhattan bowling alley that boasts
celebrity customers such as Rudy Giuliani and Harvey
Weinstein said on Thursday (December 23) it was returning
$1.3 million that may have come from Yasser Arafat.
"Having worked through the night with the attorneys, we
are rescinding the investments in question and all ties to
those investors are being severed. Further by the end of
the day, the money will be placed in escrow until a
mechanism to return the funds can be finalized. This is
important. No dividends have ever been paid on these funds
and they are being returned at their purchase price. Let me
emphasize that again. No money has ever been returned
against the initial money invested. The money came here, no
money has ever flowed back at all, not a penny," said
Thomas Shannon, chief executive of Strike Holdings which
owns Bowlmor Lanes. At a hastily called news conference in
Greenwic
h
Village, Shannon said he only became aware of the
investment from a holding company used by the late
Palestinian leader from a news report on Wednesday
(December 22). The investments, channelled through a fund
run by a former classmate of Shannon, were made between
2001 and 2002.
Arafat, the guerrilla icon of the Palestinian cause who
died in November, is said by Israel to have stashed away
millions of dollars which the Palestinian Authority
received in aid from the United States, Europe and Arab
nations.
Palestinian officials deny the reports of missing
millions hidden by Arafat -- whose frugal lifestyle was
legendary -- but his death has raised expectations that
corruption within the Palestinian Authority may come under
closer scrutiny.
Shannon said he was not aware of any illegality in the
investment and he had not received complaints from
customers but he was determined to hand back the money
immediately.
The dimly lit and garishly decorated bowling alley,
housed above shop-fronts and cafes, proudly displays
bowling pins signed by a host of celebrities. Former mayor
Giuliani, a prominent supporter of Israel, has also signed
a bowling pin, as has Monica Lewinsky.
One young mother, ran out of the bowling alley with her
two children after hearing that Arafat was an investor.
The woman did not wish to be identified. She said,
"Well, we heard the rumour upstairs and we are just not
interested in supporting a business that is funded on blood
and terror. Merry Christmas. And we are leaving."
Another lady, Sandra expressed her surprise upon
hearing Arafat's involvement, and said she would never
visit the bowling alley.
Said Sandra, "I would not, definitely not. I have my
principles."
Deja Flynn however did not seem too perturbed on
hearing the news. "It's just money, there is probably no
real terrorist activity going on in the bowling alley."
The money was part of several hundred million dollars
of investments by Arafat, according to sources.
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