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.
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.
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