A Bali Police internal affairs investigation has prompted eight police officers to confess to involvement in extorting money from a group of Australian men out in Bali for a bucks week.
Of the 12 people investigated, four have been cleared of wrongdoing, police spokesman Hery Wiyanto reportedly said on Friday.
The Australian men had been celebrating the engagement of marketing consultant Mark Ipaviz at an up-scale Seminyak restaurant with a stripper, when they said private security stormed the party, pistol-whipping and tasering them.
Bali Police’s internal investigation started when claims surfaced that following the security’s shutdown of the party, police officers threatened the group of 16 Australian men with indecency charges that had 10 years prison time if they didn’t pay a Rp 250 million bribe.
Wiyanto says the extortion plot was initiated by the head of the detectives unit and the police station chief, who had only been on the job for four days at the time, was persuaded to go along with it, reports AAP.
A number of the police officers were reportedly shamed on Thursday and forced to stand in the sun at the Bali Provincial Police compound—nothing worse than standing in the sun and getting black for an Indonesian!
“They are cheeky, insolent, brash,” Bali’s deputy police chief Nyoman Suryasta said of the officers involved in the controversy, as quoted by News Corp Australia.
“It is a punishment from the boss. Could be sun-drying (being made to stand in the sun) or other punishment. If they are cheeky they will be dried,” Suryasta said.
The deputy police chief reportedly explained that this is an “early punishment” for the officers and they will face police ethical tribunals.
Apparently the heaviest punishment is getting sacked, while an apology would be on the lenient side.
Suryasta previously confirmed that seven officers were implicated in the alleged extortion last week on Tuesday, but explained the extent of their involvement and the amount of money taken from the Australian men had yet to be determined.
Photo of Indonesian police by AFP
