ttgapers.com

Johnny Soong, owner of the Zen nightclub and one of the promoters of last Thursday's "Akon in Concert" said yesterday that the club has an age limit of 18 years and over. Soong, who is out of the country, was contacted for comment on the highly publicised controversial dance by Akon and 14-year-old Deena Alleyne, daughter of pastor Dave Alleyne.

"Patrons have to be 18 years to purchase tickets when we sell tickets for our events," Soong said yesterday.

"We do check persons IDs. Obviously she got through the crack.

"It was advance tickets so it may not have been her who bought her ticket but someone could have bought it for her. There were also scalpers outside the venue selling tickets."

Soong said police were also positioned at the door for the event.

"We are very vigilant in terms of making sure that people of age come into Zen," Soong added.

He said one of the problems local promoters encounter is that patrons do not walk with identification cards when they go to events.

"In Trinidad we do not walk with IDs. How many people do you know walk around with an ID in Trinidad?" Soong asked.

The video clip of Akon and Alleyne on stage has been popping up on other websites including VH1, after being pulled from YouTube-Broadcast Yourself, where it was originally posted. The raunchy dance has been the hot topic of discussion for gossip websites, both local and international.

The Senegalese artiste disappointed many fans last Thursday when he threw the teenager around like a rag doll in a dance very much like simulated sex.

Akon managed to convince the ladies who made their way onstage that they were taking part in a global contest and that they could earn a fabulous grand prize trip to Africa if they won.

He also promised to upload the footage onto the popular Internet video website YouTube-Broadcast Yourself.

Seven girls took up the challenge, including Alleyne, only to discover that there was no trip and that Akon was "Africa".