James Aki

"How could that be?" the former Senate president asked yesterday after learning of his indictment on gambling charges. "I'm surprised. I thought this thing was closed. It's been two years."

The indictment stems from a March 12, 1994, police raid of an alleged for-profit bingo operation on Aki's Nanakuli property.

The grand jury yesterday charged Aki with first-degree promotion of gambling and unlawful ownership or operation of a business.

Aki denied any wrongdoing. "I was not involved in promoting gambling or doing anything unlawful," he said.

Also indicted were United Parents and Children of Polynesia Inc., the nonprofit group's president Myron Thompson, its officer and directors, and Freda Logo and Diana Seiuli. They were also charged with two counts of failure to report income, said Deputy Prosecutor Dwight Nadamoto.

During the 1994 raid, police seized $24,700 and arrested 15 people, including one juvenile, for gambling and possession of gambling equipment. More than 300 people were playing bingo.

At the time, Aki said he had known for four or five months that a Samoan church group was running a bingo operation on the property he rented to the organization. But Aki said he likened the bingo games to "social gambling" and felt they were legal.

He also disclosed then that the group was charging each person who attended the bingo game a $5 "membership fee."

Aki's bail is $6,000. Bail for Thompson, Logo and Seiuli is $16,000 each.