Two police officers in Bali have been lightly sanctioned for escorting three men while they are jogging on a road in Denpasar. The incident became a hotly discussed topic among Indonesian netizens over the weekend, especially as one of the escorted men is believed to be Jakarta socialite-slash-drug convict Richard Muljadi.
Let’s start with a footage that recently went viral, which shows a police patrol car leading the way on Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai, with three men jogging behind it and followed with another car trailing slowly behind them.
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That video circulated quickly and widely online, with many people pointing out that one of the men resembled Richard, who was sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison in February 2019 and ordered to undergo rehabilitation for consuming cocaine.
A quick recap: Richard was arrested in August 2018 after a police officer coincidentally caught him snorting cocaine inside the restroom of a restaurant in Pacific Place mall, South Jakarta. With Richard being the grandson of pharmaceuticals magnate Kartini Muljadi (whose family, with a net worth of US$680 million, was ranked #44 in Forbes’ 2017 list of 50 richest Indonesians), the news quickly made national headlines and became a viral topic among netizens.
Richard was also pretty well-known for his lavish spending habits that he often parades on social media (he bought his dog a car once), so it’s not surprising that people were quick to recognize him on this most recent viral video alleging his seemingly first public appearance since he was convicted.
The Bali Police have not confirmed nor released identities of the three joggers, but said that the officers involved have been found guilty of doing so.
“If you have seen the video then I don’t have to explain anymore, our focus is on the police officers regarding their escort violations,” Bali Police spokesman Syamsi told local media outlets earlier today.
The officers were given administrative sanctions, comprising individual letters of apology promising they won’t repeat their mistakes.
As for whether or not the man in the video is actually Richard has not been officially confirmed, though the viral footage appears to have been recorded from Richard’s own Instagram account, which also features a bunch of recent photos and stories that appear to show him traveling (around the world, no less).
Well, they certainly could’ve been disguised throwbacks and whatnot, but we might just be on the lookout for more “appearances” from the socialite. An official from the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights said that since Richard had to undergo rehabilitation, he is not currently in prison.
