City administration shuts 16 gambling dens<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has in the past two days
\nclosed 16 amusement centers, which had allegedly been used as
\ngambling dens, Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The 16 amusement centers were closed because they have
\nviolated the operational permits, issued by the city
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"Instead, they ran gambling businesses in their buildings,\"
\nSutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Of the 16 sealed amusement centers, four were in North
\nJakarta, nine in West Jakarta and three in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said the city administration had never issued permits
\nto the owners of the buildings to run gambling businesses. \"The
\ncity administration granted permits to the owners of the
\nbuildings to operate amusement centers.\"<\/p>\n
He said the city administration was thinking of moving the
\namusement centers to the Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands) resort
\noff North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The governor dismissed speculations that the gambling dens-
\nturned amusement centers belonged to the city administration.<\/p>\n
\"All were operated by private businesspeople,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, city councillors intonated that the amusement centers
\nbelonged to the city administration.<\/p>\n
Councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP)
\nsaid on Monday that several buildings, including five in North
\nJakarta which belonged to the city administration, had been used
\nas gambling dens.<\/p>\n
Posman urged the governor to quit if he could not handle the
\nmushrooming gambling activities, including togel (popularly known
\nas judi buntut) gambling, in the city.<\/p>\n
The governor called on city residents to actively participate
\nin helping the city administration's war against gambling.<\/p>\n
\"We invite Jakarta residents to tell the city's security and
\norder officials if they know of any gambling dens or gambling
\nactivities in their neighborhood,\" Sutiyoso said.<\/p>\n
The governor made an impromptu visit to the amusement centers
\non Wednesday night to make sure that the buildings had been
\nsealed off.<\/p>\n
He also dismissed earlier reports that the Omni Batavia Hotel
\nin West Jakarta had also been used as a gambling den.<\/p>\n
The hotel and several other hotels, including the Prince Park
\nHotel, also in West Jakarta, reportedly had provided their rooms
\nas gambling dens. The hotels' executives have denied the
\naccusations.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said he had also ordered public order officers in the
\ncity's five mayoralties to handle togel gambling, which has
\nbecome a favorite among the lower class, in their respective
\nareas.<\/p>\n
The 16 closed amusement centers are Kelapa Gading, UFO, Pluit
\nPlaza and Lucky Plaza in North Jakarta, and Pelangi, Gandy,
\nCaesar 3, Kunir, Asemka1 and Asemka2, Pujasera, Fight and Kabuki
\nin West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The sealed amusement centers in Central Jakarta are MD
\namusement center, Mangga Dua Club and Sarinah amusement center.
\n(jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-administration-shuts-16-gambling-dens-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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