Made Jati Takes Over at Kori
With the new investigations at Polda Bali and Polres Tabanan, tensions were clearly
rising. I had hoped that the police reports would induce Made Jati to make some
kind of compromise or mediate a settlement, but if anything, they had the opposite
effect.
I began to receive warnings: Bules were not expected to use the legal system
in Bali for their own purposes. I had been expected to flee Bali after the first
court decision, and my new lawyers and I were bucking the system.
I had barely dared enter our restaurant at Kori since the divorce began. All my
immigration and work permits had been sponsored by Made Jati and Uluwatu. I no longer
knew what my status was, and I had reason to fear that with even the smallest infraction
of rules I could be deported and blacklisted.
Until now Made Jati hadn't interfered with our partner, Gary Hewson, who had a fifty
percent share of Kori and managed the restaurant.
But in early 2007 she began pressuring him to turn over control of the accounting
and banking, then began addressing Gary as an "employee", refusing to meet with
him to discuss the issues, and finally denying any knowledge of our partnership.
As with me, Gary's immigration and work permits were sponsored by Made Jati. As
their expiry dates approached it was obvious that Made Jati would not renew them.
Gary found a new sponsor in Jakarta, but the sponsor unaccountably delayed signing
the immigration documents. Without papers, Gary was afraid to enter Kori.
Premen or thugs appeared at Kori and soon convinced the staff that Gary was
no longer in control. As an added incentive, Made Jati filed a report at another
police station, Poltabes in Denpasar, accusing Gary of embezzlement.
Fourth Police Report
April 2007 Maharidzal, Mangasi and I accompanied Gary to Polsek Kuta to report suspected
fraud at Kori Restaurant.
We had the original partnership agreement, receipts since 1998 signed by Made Jati
herself noting "50% Profit Share," witnesses, and accounting records. The original
founding documents showed discrepancies in dates that seemed to indicate the possibilities
of still deeper suspected frauds.
April 2007 — Made Jati Reported at Polsek Kuta for Suspected Fraud
But the investigation went nowhere. It was ignored, then quietly dropped, and under
continuing pressure from the police at Poltabes, where Made Jati's report was not
dropped, Gary felt it prudent not to push at Polsek Kuta.
Austrindo Law Office
Fifth Police Report
In May 2007 I reported Rifan SH of Austrindo Law Office at Polsek Kuta for suspected
Fraud.
Half a dozen incidents had left me shaken as my case was apparently mishandled and
unaccountably lost despite clear evidence and witnesses.
But an undeniable indication of fraud appeared in the Decision of the High Court
in my appeal. I had signed a Power of Attorney with Rifan, and Rifan had then written
and read to me our Memo of Appeal, and he told me he had entered it to the court.
The Decision of the High Court, however, stated "until the moment the case was examined…
from the side of the Respondent and / or his attorneys no Memo of Appeal was entered
in the case."
Failing to enter an argument in appeal was a 100% guarantee that I would lose.
May 2007 — M. Rifan SH and Peter Johnson LLB of Austrindo Law Office Reported at Polsek Kuta for Suspected Fraud
But like the Kori case, also at Polsek Kuta, the investigation faded and then was
dropped without explanation except "not enought proof."
I Told You So
After nearly two years of struggle I had little to show for it.
Made Jati and her family had taken Uluwatu and Kori. She had admitted that the marriage
documents behind her divorce accusation were false, but she hadn't withdrawn the
action now at the Supreme Court. Even if I had a chance to win, a decision could
take years. Meanwhile the Polda file was still bouncing back and forth between the
prosecutor's office and Polda Bali while the other police reports appeared to be
bogged down.
Most of those who had advised me to run in 2006 reacted with a laugh, “I told you
so!”