Brunei cracks down on Sheraton New Year party

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Dozens of police and other officials in Brunei shut down a New Year’s party at the city’s only internationally-run hotel, according to its manager.

AFP reported that about 70 locals and foreigners were celebrating the arrival of the New Year at the Sheraton Utama hotel when at least 50 police and representatives of other government agencies arrived about 12:20 am last Tuesday, Alex Riva, the general manager, said.

“I don’t know if ‘raid’ is the terminology to be used but yes, we had a visit by the authorities,” he said.

Riva said the authorities checked people’s identification and remained until everybody had left the executive lounge where the party took place.

Riva described the gathering as a restrained affair where families and the elderly were present.

“At the time when they arrived we had a quiz going on,” he said, adding a disc jockey was playing music, but not at excessive levels.

“It was a little bit like a school party,” he told AFP. “This is Brunei, so the parties are very smooth.”

“We are the first one to want to make sure we are doing the right things,” he said.

Brunei came to the world’s attention last year when one of the world’s most extravagant spenders, Prince Jefri, the younger brother of the Sultan of Brunei, was ordered by five English judges to settle a billion-dollar battle between Jefri and the Sultan.

Prince Jefri has been ordered to give up ownership of two hotels: the New York Palace Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, three houses: Cavell House in London, St John’s Lodge in London and in 3-5 Place Vendôme, Paris, as well as paintings, jewels and a large trust fund.

Prince Jefri denied stealing his nation’s assets and said that he did receive the large sums but they were not misappropriated.

Prince Jefri is a father of 17 and is the former Finance Minister of Brunei.

The Brunei authorities had sued the Prince for embezzlement and an out-of-court settlement was reached in 2000. Jefri, however, insisted that his brother had said he could maintain his lifestyle.

The Privy Council judges ruled that the brother’s generosity wouldn’t extend quite that far. The Privy Council is Brunei’s superior court, a legacy of former British rule

Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah inherited an unbroken 600-year-old dynasty when he came to the throne, and is rated by Forbes magazine as the world’s wealthiest monarch, with a personal fortune of around £10 billion.

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