Yorris denies ivolvement in gambling

JAKARTA (JP): Yorris Raweyai, a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) who was apprehended last week for his alleged involvement in gambling, has admitted that he was present but only to attend a Chinese New Year celebration.

Yorris was quoted yesterday by Assembly Deputy Speaker Abdul Gafur as saying that he was not involved in gambling activities when a group of military personnel raided a venue in West Jakarta last Thursday.

"He (Yorris) told me he was at the entertainment center not for gambling but for the Chinese New Year festivities," Gafur said after a regular meeting of the Assembly's leaders yesterday.

Gafur, in his capacity as deputy chairman of the ruling Golkar party, summoned Yorris -- a Golkar member and an executive of the Golkar-affiliated Pemuda Pancasila youth organization -- for questioning Tuesday.

He said that after hearing Yorris' explanation, Golkar's board of executives suggested that Yorris exercise his right to make a public statement and defend press reports saying that he was apprehended for alleged gambling.

Yesterday's meeting of MPR leaders, presided over by Assembly Speaker Harmoko, also focused on the arrest of Yorris by personnel from Jakarta Military Command, Gafur said.

"We'll let the police investigate the case thoroughly. If he (Yorris) is proven guilty later he must be punished, but if he's innocent his reputation must be mended.

"We intend to maintain the presumption of innocence until the police complete their investigation."

Yorris' explanation for his presence at the Kiss Me entertainment center, however, did not satisfy the military command's spokesman, Lt. Col. DJ. Nachrowi.

Nachrowi said that Yorris was found gambling in an area called the Italian Room during the raid.

"We nabbed him and other alleged gamblers at the venue, brought them to our office to be registered and handed them over to the police," Nachrowi told The Jakarta Post by phone yesterday evening.

Yorris was among almost 100 alleged gamblers detained during Jakarta Military Command raids on three entertainment venues in West and North Jakarta late Thursday night, Nachrowi said.

"We caught 12 gamblers red-handed at Kiss Me entertainment center (one of the three venues), including the well-known leader of a youth organization," he said, referring to Yorris.

He said some coins and gambling paraphernalia were seized as evidence.

Those arrested during the raid were dropped off at Jakarta Police Headquarters early Friday for further investigation, he said.

But city police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang later said that Yorris, and eight other people caught at Kiss Me, had been released due to a lack of hard evidence.

However, a reliable police source told the Post yesterday that his office only received four alleged gamblers, excluded Yorris, from the military command.

The source, who did not want to be identified, said he only knew about Yorris' alleged role from media reports.

"We've even questioned the police officers who were involved in the raids. They said Yorris was around when the raid took place at the venue, but he was not in the Italian Room with the arrested suspects."

The source also said police never summoned Yorris for questioning in regard to the case.

Nachrowi said the recent raids -- jointly conducted with police officers -- were intended to catch out disobedient members of the Armed Forces who hang around entertainment centers without an official assignment.

During the raids, no soldiers were arrested but almost 100 people were allegedly caught gambling. (amd/cst)