City administration shuts 16 gambling dens

City administration shuts 16 gambling dens

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has in the past two days
closed 16 amusement centers, which had allegedly been used as
gambling dens, Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday.

"The 16 amusement centers were closed because they have
violated the operational permits, issued by the city
administration.

"Instead, they ran gambling businesses in their buildings,"
Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.

Of the 16 sealed amusement centers, four were in North
Jakarta, nine in West Jakarta and three in Central Jakarta.

Sutiyoso said the city administration had never issued permits
to the owners of the buildings to run gambling businesses. "The
city administration granted permits to the owners of the
buildings to operate amusement centers."

He said the city administration was thinking of moving the
amusement centers to the Pulau Seribu (Thousand Islands) resort
off North Jakarta.

The governor dismissed speculations that the gambling dens-
turned amusement centers belonged to the city administration.

"All were operated by private businesspeople," he said.

Earlier, city councillors intonated that the amusement centers
belonged to the city administration.

Councillor Posman Siahaan of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP)
said on Monday that several buildings, including five in North
Jakarta which belonged to the city administration, had been used
as gambling dens.

Posman urged the governor to quit if he could not handle the
mushrooming gambling activities, including togel (popularly known
as judi buntut) gambling, in the city.

The governor called on city residents to actively participate
in helping the city administration's war against gambling.

"We invite Jakarta residents to tell the city's security and
order officials if they know of any gambling dens or gambling
activities in their neighborhood," Sutiyoso said.

The governor made an impromptu visit to the amusement centers
on Wednesday night to make sure that the buildings had been
sealed off.

He also dismissed earlier reports that the Omni Batavia Hotel
in West Jakarta had also been used as a gambling den.

The hotel and several other hotels, including the Prince Park
Hotel, also in West Jakarta, reportedly had provided their rooms
as gambling dens. The hotels' executives have denied the
accusations.

Sutiyoso said he had also ordered public order officers in the
city's five mayoralties to handle togel gambling, which has
become a favorite among the lower class, in their respective
areas.

The 16 closed amusement centers are Kelapa Gading, UFO, Pluit
Plaza and Lucky Plaza in North Jakarta, and Pelangi, Gandy,
Caesar 3, Kunir, Asemka1 and Asemka2, Pujasera, Fight and Kabuki
in West Jakarta.

The sealed amusement centers in Central Jakarta are MD
amusement center, Mangga Dua Club and Sarinah amusement center.
(jun)