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fter weeks of investigations, the Bali Police on Monday officially dismissed Comr. Ida Bagus Deddy Januartha from his position as Kuta Police chief, making him the highest-ranking officer among 12 police personnel who have received initial punishment for their alleged involvement in the extortion of a group of Australian tourists earlier this year.

The inauguration of the new Kuta Police chief, Comr. I Wayan Sumara, was held on Monday in a modest ceremony at the Denpasar Police headquarters, along with the swearing in of 16 other police officers who have been installed in various leadership positions.

Deddy, who has been reassigned to the Bali Police'€™s operations bureau, also attended the ceremony but refused to speak to the press.

Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. Anak Agung Made Sudana, who led the inauguration ceremony, expressed hope that the new leadership would prevent a similar incident from occurring.

'€œReferring to the previous [extortion] incident, we are hoping that it won'€™t happen again. No one hopes that will happen again,'€ Sudana told journalists after the ceremony.

The police'€™s investigation into the extortion case began last month in response to reports from Australian media on a group of Australian tourists who allegedly extorted by Bali law enforcers during a vacation on the popular resort island.

The Sydney Morning Herald, for example, 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 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 huge amount of cash to secure their release.

Earlier this month, the Bali Police announced that their internal investigation had found the involvement of 12 Kuta Police personnel in the extortion, which the police claimed had cost the tourists Rp 20 million (US$1,380).

The amount, according to the police, was shared among eight officers. Although they did not take the money, the other four personnel, including Deddy, are also considered guilty for not reporting the case to their superiors.

Newly inaugurated Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto has also pledged to settle the case in an attempt to make Bali a safer place for both local residents and tourists.

Prior to Deddy'€™s official dismissal, Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Hery Wiryanto confirmed on Sunday that Deddy had been suspended from his position since Wednesday.

Deddy, according to Hery, insisted that he did not accept any of the money taken from the Australians, defying testimonies from his subordinates.

'€œEven if he did not take the money, as the chief of Kuta Police [at the time], he must take responsibility for what has happened,'€ Hery added.

Earlier this month, Kuta Police general crimes unit head Adj. Comr. Dewa Tagel Wijasa was also suspended from his position after the police'€™s internal investigation revealed that Dewa had allegedly served as the main instigator of the extortion operation.

The Bali Police said that permanent sanctions against the 12 police personnel could only be imposed after they had undergone sessions with ethics tribunals, with dismissal as the maximum possible punishment.