Gelar Pesta Striptis di Bali, 16 Turis Australia Mengaku Diperas Polisi

NAMA aparat kepolisian di Bali lagi-lagi diberitakan miring di dunia internasional. Kali ini adalah berita tentang dugaan pemerasan yang dilakukan oknum polisi di Bali terhadap 16 turis asal Australia.

Harian Sydney Morning Herald di Australia menulis, 16 wisatawan dari Negeri Kanguru itu diperas oleh oknum polisi di Bali hingga sebesar AUD 25.000 atau sekitar Rp 250 juta pada Februari lalu. Sejumlah nama kondang masuk dalam rombongan turis yang diperas itu. Misalnya, bekas model Mark Ipaviz, pengusaha hiburan Nick Russian, penata rambut para selebritis Joey Scandizzo dan beberapa bekas peragawan kondang di Australia.
Menurut sumber yang dikutup Fairfax Media, para turis Australia itu ditodong pistol, disengat dengan senapan kejut listrik (taser gun), dianiaya dan dikenai tuduhan palsu sehingga ditahan. Mereka dilepas setelah dipaksa membayar suap Rp 250 juta.

Departemen Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan Australia sebenarnya mengaku sudah mengetahui kasus itu. Namun, kementerian yang dipimpin Julie Bishop itu memilih menolak mengimentarinya.

Selain itu, tak satupun di antara 16 turis Australia yang mendapat perlakuan tak menyenangkan saat berlibur di Bali itu mau bicara terbuka ke publik. Ipaviz pun dalam pernyataan singkat ke juga memilih berhati-hati.

“Aku harap Anda menghormati pilihan saya untuk tidak berkomentar karena konsen saya pada warga Australia dan warga negara asing lainnya yang berada dalam situasi yang sama akibat salah tangkap sehingga harus berurusan dengan pihak berwenang yang tak bertanggung jawab dan tak beretika di negeri mereka sendiri,” tutur Ipaviz menjawab pertanyaan Fairfax Media.

Ia khawatir pemberitaan tentang kasus itu justau akan menjadi persoalan internasional. “Dan saya lebih suka untuk tidak bertanggung jawab soal itu,” katanya.

Sedangkan sumber lain di antara rombongan turis Australia itu menuturkan, mereka tinggal di kawasan Seminyak, Bali selama lima hari pada Februari lalu. Seperti halnya wisatawan mancanagara yang berkunjung di Bali, mereka pun berjemur, bermalas-malas di tepi kolam dan tentu meminum bir.

Pada malam terakhir, yakni 26 Februari, mereka menggelar makan malam di tempat tertutup di sebuah restoran di Seminyak. Salah satu kolega Ipaviz lantas mengundang penari striptis dan mengaku sudah mendapat izin dari manajer restoran.

Saat para wisatawan Australia itu tengah menikmati striptis di ruangan tertutup, tiba-tiba petugas keamanan dalam alias satpam restoran masuk dan membuyarkan pesta mereka. Apesnya, salah satu di antara wisatawan itu ada yang dikepruk botol oleh satpam.

Ada pula yang disengat dengan taser gun dan diancam bakal dibunuh. Salah satu di antara mereka bahkan ada yang membutuhkan perawatan medis karena terluka.

Para satpam itu lantas memaksa para wisatawan Australia menyerahkan telepon genggam mereka. Selanjutnya, satpam restoran memanggil polisi.  “Saya tahu kita dalam masalah ketika polisi datang dan disambut penjaga dengan pelukan,” kata salah satu kolega Ipaviz.

Selanjutnya, 16 turis Australia itu bersama penari striptisnya digiring masuk ke dalam sebuah mobil dan dibawa ke kantor polisi. Mereka mengaku didiamkan saja hingga penerjemah tiba pada pagi harinya.

Sumer itu menuturkan, ppenerjemah yang juga seorang polisi wanita mengatakan baha para wisatawan Australia itu terancam 10 tahun penjara. Sebab, aksi mereka mengundang penari striptis telah mencoreng dan membuat tersinggung masyarakat Bali.

Polwan penerjemah itu lantas bernegosiasi dengan dua di antara wisatawan Australia. Namun, para turis Australia itu dilarang berhubungan dengan pihak konsulat mereka di Denpasar.

“Karena itu akan menghentikan negosiasi dan kami akan menghabiskan waktu berbulan-bulan di tahanan sebelum proses pengadilan,” kata salah satu di antara turis yang jadi korban pemerasan itu

Selanjutnya, polwan penerjemah menawarkan bahwa urusan bisa dipermudah. “Dia bilang kami bisa membayar denda. Dan ini bukan pertama kalinya mereka melakukannya,” tutur sumber itu.

Setelah sempat 24 jam berada di tahanan kepolisian, akhirnya dua di antara turis Australia itu bergegas mencari mesin anjungan tunai mandiri (ATM). Mereka menarik uang hingga Rp 250 juta dari sejumlah ATM yang tersebar di Seminyak dan Kuta.(sydneymorningherald/ara/jpnn)

http://m.jpnn.com/news.php?id=310966&page=2

Melbourne men pistol-whipped, Tasered and extorted in Bali

Bali is renowned for its golden beaches and smiling locals, but a group of Melbourne men have been deeply traumatised by a violent encounter with corrupt police and private security guards on the tropical island that attracts thousands of Australians every week.

The 16 men flew to Bali for the buck's weekend of marketing consultant and former model, Mark Ipaviz, and ended up being pistol-whipped, Tasered and forced to pay a bribe of about $25,000 to avoid trumped-up charges and threats of a 10-year prison sentence.

The incident is expected to escalate concerns about the safety of Australians visiting Bali, which has already experienced a tourism backlash following the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for drug trafficking.

The group included prominent nightclub owner Nick Russian, several former models, celebrity hairdresser Joey Scandizzo, and other mates such as Simon Phan and Dan Beckwith, and some who grew up with Mr Ipaviz on the Mornington Peninsula.

None of the men contacted by Fairfax Media were willing to talk publicly about their treatment by Balinese police or security staff. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the allegations, but also declined to comment.

Mr Ipaviz released a short statement, but refused to respond to questions.

"I hope you can appreciate that I have chosen not to comment due to my concern for other Australians and foreigners in similar situations of wrongful arrest who may have to deal with overseas authorities less responsible and less ethical than theirs in their own country.

"An article of this nature could potentially inflame such situations internationally and I would prefer not to be responsible for that," Mr Ipaviz said.

But two members of the buck's party, who asked not to be named, confirmed they stayed in the fashionable coastal town of Seminyak for five days in February.

Like many visitors to the Indonesian paradise, they soaked up the sun, hung out by the pool and drank a few beers.

On their final night on the island, February 26, they organised a dinner in a private dining room at an upmarket Seminyak restaurant.

One of Mr Ipaviz's closest friends is believed to have organised a stripper and told the group he had the approval of the resort manager.

But within minutes of the exotic dancer beginning her routine, the private dining room was stormed by private security guards brandishing guns.

One member of the buck's party was smashed over the head with a bottle, several were shocked with Taser guns, while another was pistol-whipped and threatened with death. One of the injured men required medical treatment for a laceration to the head.

The guards forced the Australians to hand over their mobile phones and called police in Kuta.

"I knew we were in trouble, when the police arrived and greeted the guards with a hug," said one of Mr Ipaviz's friends.

The 16 men and the stripper were bundled into vans and taken to a police station, according to another source, who said they were left in a holding cell until a translator arrived in the morning.

The female translator, who was also a police officer, told the men they faced serious indecency charges that carried a 10-year prison sentence in Indonesia. While Bali's population is 90 per cent Hindu, she claimed the police officers were all devout Muslims and were deeply offended by the Australians' behaviour.

"She was negotiating with two of Mark's mates and made it clear that we should not call the consulate, because that would stop any negotiations and we'd spend months in prison before any trial. She said we could pay a fine and it would all be sorted. They knew the drill and it obviously wasn't the first time they'd done it," said another source.

After more than 24 hours in custody, two men were dispatched to withdraw about 250 million Indonesian rupiah (more than $25,000) on behalf of the group from several different automatic teller machines in Kuta and Seminyak. They were chaperoned by the translator and an armed police officer.

Once the bribe was paid, the men were released but the entire group missed their return flights to Melbourne.

Most of Mr Ipaviz's friends are unlikely to return to Bali. Some are still unsettled or angered by the experience, with at least one member of the group seeking counselling.

"I get (that) when you're in a foreign country you play by their rules. What we did was pretty minor compared to what happens in Kuta every night. But the way we were treated was completely over the top. I'll never go back," a source said.

Despite the island's obvious allure, 48 Australians died while on holidays in the financial year 2013/14, while 118 fell ill or were admitted to hospital, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

http://m.smh.com.au/national/melbourne-men-pistolwhipped-tasered-and-bribed-in-bali-20150621-ghtpyy.html