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Police confirm officers involved in Bali extortion case
The Bali Police announced on Tuesday that an internal investigation had uncovered the involvement of seven local police personnel in the extortion of cash from a group of Australian tourists who visited the resort island earlier this year
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he Bali Police announced on Tuesday that an internal investigation had uncovered the involvement of seven local police personnel in the extortion of cash from a group of Australian tourists who visited the resort island earlier this year.
Bali Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Nyoman Suryasta said a recent joint investigation conducted by the Bali Police's intelligence, general crime and internal affairs directorates had found that the extortion, which was reported for the first time by Australian media in June, had in fact occurred.
'Yes, it [the extortion allegation] is true,' Suryasta said. 'There were seven police personnel who were involved. We, however, will examine the role of each of them as we extend [our investigation into] the case.'
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on June 21 that the incident happened in February when Australian tourist Mark Ipaviz and his friends were holidaying in Bali.
On their last night on the resort island, they organized a private event at an upmarket Seminyak restaurant and hired a stripper for the party.
After the stripper began her performance, security guards stormed in and allegedly used taser weapons against the Australians, as well as beating them with guns and bottles.
After confiscating the men's phones and calling the local police, the guards and the police transported the group to a police station.
The tourists were reportedly forced to stay overnight at the police station and threatened with 10-year prison sentences for indecency.
They were reportedly later taken to ATMs and forced to withdraw a total of Rp 250 million (US$17,770) to secure their release.
The story emerged despite the Australians' decision to remain silent about the alleged incident. Most of them had vowed never to return to Bali, saying they still felt angry and upset.
In response to media reports, Bali Police summoned last week 20 local police personnel, including Kuta Police chief Comr. Ida Bagus Dedy Januartha, for questioning regarding their alleged involvement in the incident.
Suryasta said seven police personnel had finally confessed to their involvement in the case during interrogation. He was, however, unable to confirm how much money the police officers had extorted from the Australians.
'No, they didn't admit how much [money they took]. However, the most important thing is we have revealed that they committed an act that violated our ethical and professional code,' he said.
Suryasta did not identify the seven police personnel who committed the extortion, but he confirmed that Dedy was not one of them. He also was unable to state whether the personnel committed violence against the tourists.
On Monday, Dedy denied that he was involved in the extortion case.
'There was no extortion. I never did that. And I have reminded members of my team not to accept any money when handling a case,' he said.
Suryasta said the current investigation had been ordered by the National Police's headquarters in Jakarta in an attempt to uphold the reputation of the police.
'We were told about the case in June. Our examinations found that it really happened. It was a fact,' he said.
Suryasta, however, said any sanctions against the seven police personnel could only be imposed after they had undergone sessions with ethics tribunals, with dismissal as the maximum possible punishment.
