A tourist from Australia allegedly made false reports to the police of getting robbed because he ran out of money and hoped to cash in insurance claims.
Kuta Police Chief Wayan Sumara says that Australian man Benjamin James Silver, 28, claimed he was attacked by four people near the Mini Mart on Jl. Poppies 2 on Saturday.
Police followed up with Silver’s report, conducting an investigation at the scene of the alleged crime and interviewed witnesses.
However, an employee on duty at the minimarket at the supposed time of the attack admitted to witnessing no sort of beating or fighting happening. Likewise, a security guard working at the nearby Bounty Hotel also said he didn’t see any fight go on that night.
This led police to question Silver’s report and they became even more suspicious when the Aussie was reluctant to show up at the crime scene with the excuse of being too tired.
“We noticed something awry with his report,” Sumara told Merdeka on Tuesday.
“He spoke carelessly and accused the police of not listening to his report.
“It’s strange when people report of being attacked but do not show up at the crime scene with the excuse of being tired.”
Police say they eventually found a witness who confirmed that Silver mentioned he was going to the police station to make a false report in the hopes of getting insurance money, but the man has apparently already returned to his home country so there’s not much they can do at this point.
Sumara did mention, however, that police would be communicating with the Consulate about the matter in order to avoid misunderstandings.
