GASTOWN HOTEL CLEAN, SAYS OWNER

The owner of the Gastown Hotel, one of the targets of a 10-week undercover
police sting operation, said he is being unfairly picked on.

Amrik Randhawa said that before police accused his hotel of welfare fraud,
drug trafficking and poor conditions, he had never received a complaint
from the city.

"I don't know why they are picking on us," replied Randhawa. "We don't have
any outstanding complaints, the hotel is up to date and clean and they want
to shut us down. For what?"

The owner says that he doesn't know where police videotaped dead rats and
bug-infested rooms, but claims it wasn't on his property.

"You won't find that - we have three people that clean the hotel every
day," he said, dismissing police's claims the hotel is unlivable.

Randhawa said he also doesn't believe allegations his staff was selling
drugs, but says he's kicked out tenants engaged in the activity in the past.

Randhawa doesn't know what charges, if any, his hotel might face.

Police allege to have uncovered a number of crimes from welfare fraud to
drug trafficking during their undercover operation at the Gastown Hotel,
Astoria and Lucky Lodge.