DENPASAR, DEWATA.NEWS – Six foreign nationals have filed reports with Bali Police since 2024 over alleged fraud and embezzlement involving a cooperative savings and loan unit in Batursari, Sanur, Denpasar.
The case concerns an alleged deposit investment scheme operated through a local cooperative. During a press briefing in Denpasar on Friday (Feb 20, 2026), the victims’ legal representative, Henny Puspitawati, said the initial police report was filed in June 2024 under report number STTLP/B/463/VI/2024/SPKT/POLDA BALI. However, she stated that the legal process has been progressing slowly.
“Earlier today (Feb 20, 2026), our report, which was initially handled by the General Criminal Investigation Directorate, was redirected to the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate on the grounds that this is a banking-related case. This means our report must start from the beginning,” Henny said.
Two individuals have been reported in the case: IWM, identified as the cooperative’s chairman, and IMS, the treasurer. They are suspected of operating irregular practices between 2015 and 2021.
According to the lawyer, prospective investors were instructed to transfer their deposit funds to the personal bank account of the treasurer upon the chairman’s direction.
From the six reported victims, the total initial investment losses amount to approximately IDR 6.1 billion. If calculated with the promised interest, the total value could reach around IDR 10 billion.
The case was initially handled by the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of Bali Police under allegations of fraud and embezzlement. Recent developments indicate potential violations related to banking regulations, leading to the case being transferred to the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate.
One of the reporting victims, Peter Simon Herfkens, 71, said he began depositing funds with the cooperative in 2017 due to its proximity to his residence in Banjar Madura, Sanur.
“At first everything went smoothly, and the interest was paid. During COVID-19, they said there were some minor problems. I understood and waited. But suddenly I heard the cooperative had gone bankrupt and my money was gone. Two weeks earlier they had said everything was fine,” Peter said.
Another investor, Dirk Tobias Broerse, who invested IDR 2.8 billion, passed away in June 2024. His wife, Marijke Zeij, also a reporting victim from the Netherlands, said her husband had tried to recover their funds before his death.
“My husband was retired. That money was our savings for old age. Now I need that money back so I can return to the Netherlands,” Marijke said.
The reported cooperative office on Jalan Batursari is said to have closed, and the suspects have not shown any willingness to return the victims’ funds.
According to Henny, the six foreign nationals are no longer seeking the promised interest and are only requesting the return of their initial capital.
“We have also submitted a letter to the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) because we feel the process at the regional level has been delayed,” she said.
The investigation remains ongoing.