National

Pastika Denies Bribery in Michelle Leslie Case
Monday, 28 November, 2005 | 23:34 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Denpasar, Bali:Bali Police chief Inspector General Made Mangku Pastika has stated that he was never approached by the family of Michelle Leslie, 24, in order to release the Australian model, who was involved in a case involving the possession of two ecstasy pills.

“I don’t even know her, so how could I have met her?” said Pastika in Denpasar on Monday (28/11).

The Bali Police chief said regretted the reports in the Australian mass media, which did not ask for confirmation from him.

He also said he was worried that such news could ruin the image of the Indonesian police.

It was previously reported that the family of Leslie’s boyfriend had tried to bribe Mangku Pastika in order to release Leslie from all charges.

However, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald, Pastika refused the bribe.

The family of Leslie’s boyfriend also attempted to bribe the police laboratory with US$20,000 (around Rp201 million) in order to change the urine test result.

However, the police said that the test could not be changed.

M. Rifan, formerly Leslie’s lawyer during the investigation process, denied that he had requested a service fee amounting to A$100,000 as a concession if he were willing to resign from the case.

The family of Leslie’s boyfriend also reportedly hired the bodyguard of former president Soeharto to ask for Rifan’s resignation.

Rifan acknowledged asking for payment of under A$100,000 for his three months’ work. (Rofiqi Hasan-Tempo News Room)