A video showing a foreign tourist in Bali being escorted by a traffic police officer on a service motorbike has become viral on social media.
The video was posted on the Instagram account @justinrossales with the title “Bribing a police officer in Bali,” stating that the foreign tourist had engaged the police for US$100 or Rp1.56 million to transport him to a specific location.
“Best $100 ever spent?” he wrote in the post caption.
In the video, the foreign tourist can be seen instructing the police to drive at high speed and also using strong language to halt all vehicles passing on the highway to ensure no one obstructs his car.
“It’s a police officer who f*ck me,” said the tourist.
“Tell this motherf*cker to stop,” continued the tourist when a car blocked their progress.
After this video went viral, the Head of Public Relations of the Bali Police, Kombes Jansen Avitus Panjaitan, provided his response. Panjaitan claimed that this incident occurred a long time ago in the Gianyar Regency area.
According to him, traffic police who accept payment from foreign tourists have faced sanctions.
“This is an old case that happened in Gianyar. The police who were guarding it have been transferred and have faced consequences. [The incident] has been around for a year, maybe, it’s been a long time. That’s an old video, not a new incident, it’s been a long time coming,” said Panjaitan when contacted on Tuesday, 27th February 2024.
Regarding the giving of $100 to traffic police members, Panjaitan stated that his party would investigate further. However, he confirmed that the traffic police member had faced sanctions.
Head of the Gianyar Police Traffic Unit AKP Anton Suherman admitted that the incident in the video occurred a long time ago, around 2019 or 2020.
“I confirmed with the person concerned [the incident of escorting foreign tourists] that it was a long time ago, between 2019 and 2020,” said Suherman when confirmed.
In Bali, the public or tourists can indeed request an escort from the Traffic Directorate Unit, but it depends on the nature of the emergency. Escorting by police members is part of their service duties to the community but must follow procedures and be authorized by letter. Escort services are provided free of charge.
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