Image Credit: PEXELS

A BC karaoke bar has been ordered to close for 10 days after it failed to check customers for ID and weapons.

According to an Oct. 17 BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch decision, shortly after midnight the Privé karaoke bar allowed 19 customers to enter without checking for weapons, and a dozen without checking ID.

The decision said the liquor inspector was at the karaoke bar Feb. 25 and witnessed clientele going into the bar for 40 minutes without anyone checking for weapons.

The provision to check for weapons is part of the Vancouver karaoke bar's liquor licence requirements.

In August the bar was issued the 10-day shutdown but appealed the decision on the grounds that errors were made at its hearing.

The bar said it had new evidence and a new witness who was out of the country at the time of the original hearing.

Privé argued it had been the target of a "pattern of harassment" by the liquor board based on "erroneous allegations" stemming from a Vancouver Police Department report with "significant inconsistencies."

The decision mentions an incident in January, involving police that resulted in a 14-day liquor licence suspension. No details of what took place are given but the bar has made an official complaint to the Police Complaints Commissioner.

The regulator said the incident is unrelated to the hearing and points out it has no authority to consider claims about the Vancouver Police Department.

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The bar argued it normally had a third-party security guard on the door, but they hadn't shown up that night.

However, the reasoning wasn't good enough for the BC Liquor Branch.

The regulator also didn't buy the argument the bar had new evidence from an employee who was away at the time of the first hearing.

"The licensee provides no indication as to what this evidence might be nor why it was not discoverable during the original proceedings," the Liquor Branch said. "Without more information on the substance of the testimony of such witnesses, nor further explanation as to why they were not available for the hearing, other than being out of the country, nor why the licensee did not apply for an adjournment, I reject this ground for the basis of a reconsideration."

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The bar listed 13 points it argued were grounds for appeal, including biased decision-making, an inadequate investigation and ignoring conflicts of interest.

However, the Liquor Branch dismissed each of the claims.

Ultimately, the BC Liquor Branch rejected the appeal and ordered the bar to close for 10 days as of Nov. 16.

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