SINGAPORE — The three-week old Escobar nightspot that has been mired in controversy has agreed to remove any references to a notorious Colombian drug kingpin and criminal activities.


In a joint media statement on Friday (Feb 9), the police and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said they had spoken to the owner of Escobar, who in turn "agreed to remove all reference to drugs and Pablo Escobar at the bar”.


“(We) will monitor closely to ensure that necessary rectifications are carried out,” the statement from the authorities added.

The late Pablo Escobar is a notorious Colombian criminal who led the Medellin drug cartel known for its cocaine trade in the 1980s and 1990s. 


While the theme, logo and interior design of an F&B establishment are not governed under the police’s licensing conditions for public entertainment outlets, the statement said the bar’s theme is “highly objectionable” and “runs counter to Singapore’s zero tolerance approach towards drugs and our efforts in preventive drug education”.


“The glamorisation of a drug kingpin and associated drug use is irresponsible,” said the CNB and the police.

The owner of the bar, Mr Stan Sri Ganesh, 36, told TODAY that while there will be no change to the name of the China Square central gastropub, he will revamp the logo and all images in the unit that resembles Pablo Escobar.

He was quoted by a Reuters report that he was not happy to be changing the bar’s logo with the picture of Escobar, which had cost him $20,000 in additional expenses.

“We hope to complete this in a month or so. The exact timeline isn’t finalised yet as there is alot of planning involved,” said Mr Ganesh, who added that the bar will remain open for business as usual during this period. 
When asked if he had a new theme in mind for the bar, Mr Ganesh said he was “still in the midst of planning”.

He reiterated that it was never his intention to glorify or condone the actions of Pablo Escobar.
 “Our ultimate goal is to have a fun, relaxed atmosphere where people can eat heartily and drink quality alcohol without breaking the bank,” he said.

The Embassy of Colombia here had taken issue with the bar’s theme earlier this week. It had sent an official note to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to denounce the outlet.

Some curious patrons, however, thought nothing of the association with the infamous drug dealer.

“I mean if the owner of Escobar actually wanted to open a ‘drug place’, it would not be right smack in the middle of town,” customer Katie Kang said. WITH AGENCIES