Yorris denies ivolvement in gambling<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Yorris Raweyai, a member of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) who was apprehended last week for his
\nalleged involvement in gambling, has admitted that he was present
\nbut only to attend a Chinese New Year celebration.<\/p>\n
Yorris was quoted yesterday by Assembly Deputy Speaker Abdul
\nGafur as saying that he was not involved in gambling activities
\nwhen a group of military personnel raided a venue in West Jakarta
\nlast Thursday.<\/p>\n
"He (Yorris) told me he was at the entertainment center not
\nfor gambling but for the Chinese New Year festivities," Gafur
\nsaid after a regular meeting of the Assembly's leaders yesterday.<\/p>\n
Gafur, in his capacity as deputy chairman of the ruling Golkar
\nparty, summoned Yorris -- a Golkar member and an executive of the
\nGolkar-affiliated Pemuda Pancasila youth organization -- for
\nquestioning Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said that after hearing Yorris' explanation, Golkar's board
\nof executives suggested that Yorris exercise his right to make a
\npublic statement and defend press reports saying that he was
\napprehended for alleged gambling.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's meeting of MPR leaders, presided over by Assembly
\nSpeaker Harmoko, also focused on the arrest of Yorris by
\npersonnel from Jakarta Military Command, Gafur said.<\/p>\n
"We'll let the police investigate the case thoroughly. If he
\n(Yorris) is proven guilty later he must be punished, but if he's
\ninnocent his reputation must be mended.<\/p>\n
"We intend to maintain the presumption of innocence until the
\npolice complete their investigation."<\/p>\n
Yorris' explanation for his presence at the Kiss Me
\nentertainment center, however, did not satisfy the military
\ncommand's spokesman, Lt. Col. DJ. Nachrowi.<\/p>\n
Nachrowi said that Yorris was found gambling in an area called
\nthe Italian Room during the raid.<\/p>\n
"We nabbed him and other alleged gamblers at the venue,
\nbrought them to our office to be registered and handed them over
\nto the police," Nachrowi told The Jakarta Post by phone yesterday
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Yorris was among almost 100 alleged gamblers detained during
\nJakarta Military Command raids on three entertainment venues in
\nWest and North Jakarta late Thursday night, Nachrowi said.<\/p>\n
"We caught 12 gamblers red-handed at Kiss Me entertainment
\ncenter (one of the three venues), including the well-known leader
\nof a youth organization," he said, referring to Yorris.<\/p>\n
He said some coins and gambling paraphernalia were seized as
\nevidence.<\/p>\n
Those arrested during the raid were dropped off at Jakarta
\nPolice Headquarters early Friday for further investigation, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
But city police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang later said
\nthat Yorris, and eight other people caught at Kiss Me, had been
\nreleased due to a lack of hard evidence.<\/p>\n
However, a reliable police source told the Post yesterday that
\nhis office only received four alleged gamblers, excluded Yorris,
\nfrom the military command.<\/p>\n
The source, who did not want to be identified, said he only
\nknew about Yorris' alleged role from media reports.<\/p>\n
"We've even questioned the police officers who were involved
\nin the raids. They said Yorris was around when the raid took
\nplace at the venue, but he was not in the Italian Room with the
\narrested suspects."<\/p>\n
The source also said police never summoned Yorris for
\nquestioning in regard to the case.<\/p>\n
Nachrowi said the recent raids -- jointly conducted with
\npolice officers -- were intended to catch out disobedient members
\nof the Armed Forces who hang around entertainment centers without
\nan official assignment.<\/p>\n
During the raids, no soldiers were arrested but almost 100
\npeople were allegedly caught gambling. (amd\/cst)<\/p>",
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