Bali: The older sister of Ricky Olarenshaw’s imprisoned wife has called on the former Essendon AFL player to show responsibility and be with his family as it suffers amid a scandal centred on a Bali spa business.
Olarenshaw is believed to have returned to Australia before police raided Flame Spa Bali, a “sensual massage” business with three locations on the holiday island and allegedly owned by several Australian business partners. The ex-footballer’s estranged Balinese wife, Nitha, was later arrested on allegations that employees were doubling as prostitutes. Prostitution is illegal in Indonesia.
Former Essendon player Ricky Olarenshaw and his wife Sarnanitha, or Nitha.Credit: Facebook
While Olarenshaw’s whereabouts are unknown, he and Nitha’s nine-year-old daughter is being cared for by grandparents in Bali.
Nitha’s lawyers claim Olarenshaw and three other Australian business partners exploited her Indonesian citizenship to bypass foreign investment laws. While her name was on the official paperwork, the lawyers say it was the Australians who ran the business and decided to push its services into risque areas.
At the Denpasar District Court on Monday, Nitha’s legal team tried to challenge the validity of her arrest and ongoing detention. But the police didn’t attend court, so the judge adjourned the case.
“We were expecting something – now it’s just going to take longer,” Nitha’s frustrated sister, who asked to be identified only as Putu, said from the courtroom.
Edyanto Silalahi (centre), Nitha’s lawyer for the hearing into the validity of her arrest, waits in court on Monday for police to arrive. They failed to attend. Credit: Amilia Rosa
Putu said her sister was holding up reasonably well in jail, considering the circumstances. She said Nitha’s daughter, who watched her mother being arrested, was too young to fully comprehend the circumstances of the case.
“The family is shocked Nitha is suddenly in prison,” Putu said. “My parents were shocked that they got separated.