Bali Police Reportedly Asked Pub Owner For ‘Peace Money’ After Gambling Scandal

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Local newspapers in Bali are reporting that the Denpasar Police asked for ‘peace money’ also known as ’86’ from an Australian pub landlord who was arrested in June 2022.  RadarBali is reporting that the management of The Goat Pub in Seminyak has been asked for ‘peace money’ to the tune of IDR 750 million (USD 50,000) following a gambling scandal last month.

The newspaper has contacted the Head of Public Relations of the Denpasar Police, Iptu Ketut Sukadi, who declined to comment. He said ‘Until now, the data has not been released to the public relations department. Moreover, there are other issues, sorry I can’t comment’.

What is known is that The Goat Pub in Seminyak is owned by Australian Michael Jerome Le Grand, 47. The venue, which only opened on 20th June, was the target of a police raid on the 29th of June. During the raid, the police arrested Le Grand and his two assistants, Gri Lestari, 38, and Anggie Ayu Febbyan, 22.  

It was reported at the time that an anonymous tip-off informed the police of an illegal gambling operation that was being run out of the pub. During the arrests, police found evidence of a formal gambling operation.

Speaking at the time, Denpasar Police released a statement to confirm that ‘Michael Jerome Le Grand was arrested along with the two women who were suspected of being personal assistants. We also secured a number of pieces of evidence. These include a laptop, TV, manual recap of bets, and cash in the amount of Rp. 22,400,000” (USD 1,508)’.

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The police bought Le Grande, Lestari, and Febbyan in for questioning. Later the police also arrested the general manager of the pub, Wayan Sugiastoro. The four were taken to the Denpasar Police Criminal Investigation Unit for a day of questioning.

According to an anonymous source who works at The Goat Pub, and spoke with RadarBali, the four arrestees were released in stages throughout the day and collected by Le Grande’s wife.

The local newspaper has been compiling evidence of the scandal since the arrests and has been in contact with staff from the pub over the last few weeks. Their source told reporters that “The return of the four people affected the atmosphere at The Goat The Pub Of Seminyak because until yesterday [6th July] the employees had not received their salaries”

The source went on to give more detail as to why the staff has not been paid since the arrests, despite the pub being open. The source said ‘He [Le Grande] said the money had been used up. I don’t know what the money was used for. Maybe it’s more clear to confirm with the management of The Goat’. 

The anonymous source suggests that the reason staff had not been paid is because of requests from local police for ‘peace money’. ‘This request for money has been going on for the past few days. Reportedly, the management is willing to accept the request for Rp. 750 million’ confirmed the source.

RadarBali also reached out to the general manager of The Goat for comment about the story. They report that he was reluctant to provide any comment due to being under pressure. He said he is prohibited from sharing any information about the scandal. To quote, he said ‘about that, no comment’. 

According to The Goat’s social media, the business operation is still in full flow. The bar hosts live music and DJs every night from 6 pm onwards and are open until 3 am. The sports bar targets sports fans, with a special focus on catering to horse racing fans. 

Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, and anyone caught facilitating gambling can face a fine of up to 10 years in prison and an IDR 25 million (USD 1685) fine. Anyone caught gambling can be fined IDR 10 million (USD 675) or face up to 4 years in prison. The Goat Pub has not released a statement about RadarBali’s investigative report.