Adult-club owners complain of police harassment

Five companies that run adult night clubs yesterday filed a judicial protest against the Police Commissioner claiming he was scaring away customers and employees by ordering his men to carry out frequent searches at the establishments.

Three Sixty Ltd, AO Operations Ltd, Falcon Leisure Ltd, Friends for Entertainment and RDVM Ltd filed the protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court.

The companies explained that they operate various entertainment establishments including the clubs Steam, AO, AO Platinum, Darlings, and Secrets.

On November 18, the police raided the clubs and several people, including dancers, were taken to court and charged with running the establishment as a brothel or for other immoral purposes.

The dancers pleaded not guilty to the charges. In the first court sitting, prosecuting officers declared they did not find evidence of prostitution during the raids. The prosecution was basing its case on whether or not the type of dancing that took place in the clubs was immoral, the companies argued.

Despite the fact that the case was pending in court, the Police Commissioner was repeatedly sending his men to carry out further searches in the clubs and this without a search warrant issued by the courts.

Police officers persisted in carrying out such searches several times a week even if they were not finding evidence of prostitution.

Moreover, during the searches, officers were asking customers for their particulars, giving them the impression that by being at the clubs they were breaking the law.

Even employees were repeatedly questioned and led to believe they were doing something wrong and could be prosecuted.

The companies argued that the clubs had all the licences in place to run them and employ the dancers. Through his actions the Police Commissioner was usurping adult people's personal decisions on their parameters of morality.

Rather than feeling they live in a democratic society, the club owners, the dancers and the customers ended up feeling they were living in a police state, the companies said as they held the Police Commissioner liable in damages.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Shazoo Ghaznavi signed the protest.