The Gianyar District Police have named two suspects in the tragic Ayuterra Resort lift accident, which claimed the lives of five employees.
The suspects have been identified as M, the lift contractor, and VJ, the owner and director of the resort.
Gianyar Police Chief I Ketut Widiada was quoted today by TribunNews as saying that investigators had meticulously examined the accounts of 26 witnesses and consulted with six experts before naming them suspects.
He underscored the imperative of holding parties accountable for the incident.
“Based on expert testimonies, witness accounts, and existing evidence, we have concluded that there are more than two pieces of evidence to name the suspects,” he said in a press conference earlier today.
Widiada added that M, acting as both contractor and elevator inclinator mechanic, lacked the necessary registration as an expert in Occupational Health and Safety (K3) for elevators and escalators. Furthermore, M’s design of the lift transgressed the regulations set forth by the Ministry of Manpower.
“As a result, the lift at Ayuterra Resort did not meet the standards and led to the breaking of the sling when there was a load,” the police chief said.
Meanwhile, VJ, the owner of Ayuterra Resort, emerged as a suspect for allowing the use of a lift that failed to meet the Ministry of Manpower’s stipulated standards. The police said that VJ greenlit the replacement of the lift’s three slings with one.
This measure, however, ran contrary to the K3 provisions delineated in the Minister of Manpower Regulation Number 6 of 2017 pertaining to Elevator and Escalator Safety.
“Nevertheless, it was still used […] even though it had not been tested by experts from the Ministry of Manpower to confirm whether the lift met the standards. Due to his negligence, it resulted in loss of life,” Widiada said.
Both suspects may face up to five years of imprisonment for criminal negligence under Indonesian law.
