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Puan has nothing do with Buddha Bar: Lawyer
In a notice sent to The Jakarta Post, the daughter of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri explains through a lawyer that she does not own Buddha Bar nor have any connection with the bar’s owner, PT Nireta Vista Creative
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In a notice sent to The Jakarta Post, the daughter of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri explains through a lawyer that she does not own Buddha Bar nor have any connection with the bar’s owner, PT Nireta Vista Creative.
“Our client, Puan Maharani, has nothing do to with PT Nireta Vista Creative, the company which owns Buddha Bar Restaurant and Lounge. Her name is not even listed as a shareholder in the company’s memorandum of association,” Puan’s lawyer, Juniver Girsang said in the statement.
Juniver clarified an article recently published in the Post that said Puan jointly ran Buddha Bar with the daughter of former Jakarta Governor, whose administration approved the restoration of the building.
The Buddha Bar has drawn complaints from Buddhists in the capital, who reject the use of the name of their sacred leader for a bar. A group called the Anti Buddha Bar Forum has asked the city administration to urge PT Nireta to change the bar’s name.
The bar is part of a global chain, franchised by George V Entertainment.
Ownership of the Buddha Bar has also raised questions as the city administration funded the renovation of the building, which used to be the Immigration Office.
The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) has demanded the administration explain the ownership of the Bar. The head of the city tourism and culture agency, Arie Budhiman, said the building still belongs to the administration.
In 2005, the administration promised that it would work with private sector to transform the building into a “unique place” where all Jakartans could take part in many activities.
The Jakarta administration allocated Rp 28 billion (US$2 million) in 2002 to repurchase the building and spent an additional Rp 6.1 billion on its restoration in 2005.
