Ex-AFL star’s wife makes impassioned plea from Bali jail after sex raids scandal

The wife of former Bomber Ricky Olarenshaw has made a desperate plea from a Bali prison, claiming she has been exploited by her husband and his Australian business partners.

Former Essendon star Ricky Olarenshaw and his ex-wife Sarnanitha have been engulfed by a sex crime scandal in Bali. Picture: Facebook

The wife of AFL premiership player Ricky Olarenshaw has made an impassioned plea from a Bali prison claiming she has been exploited by her husband and his Australian business partners and fears she will lose custody of her daughter.

The former footballer’s glamorous wife and influencer, Sarnanitha Olarenshaw, was arrested in Bali over her alleged involvement in The Flame Spa in Seminyak, which they allege was engaged in prostitution.

Olarenshaw and his business partners, who include his brother Darren, are understood to have returned to Australia in late August before Bali police undertook large scale sex raids on the tourist island.

Sources close to Olarenshaw say he is planning on staying in Australia “indefinitely”.

Sarnanitha Olarenshaw was arrested in a police raid on a massage parlour in Bali. Picture: Facebook

But Sarnanitha, aka, Nitha, claims she has been exploited by the Australians living abroad.

Before being arrested she told the Herald Sun: “please help me.”

“I am worried I am going to be arrested today and lose my daughter,” she said.

Nitha, through her lawyer, Donny Tri Istiqomah, made a statement before being detained by police which has been seen by the Herald Sun.

According to her, Flame Spa belongs to Olarenshaw, his brother Darren Olarenshaw, and two other Australians Adam Dalby and Gregory Hinchliffe.

A long-time resident of the Indonesian party island, Olarenshaw is understood to have recently split from Nitha.

Nitha claims he was trying to seek custody of their young daughter.

Nitha also alleges she caught her now estranged husband, former Essendon player Olarneshaw “cheating” in August.

Ricky Olarenshaw (right, pictured with James Hird) celebrates winning the 1993 AFL grand final. Picture: Getty Images

This, she claims, led to the other business partners putting pressure on her to pay them money relating to Flame Spa as shareholders in the company.

She alleges Hinchliffe threatened her in Whats App messages seen by the Herald Sun, while she was on holiday away from Bali, saying if she did not pay the 20 per cent shareholders dividends to himself, Dalby and the Olarenshaw brothers, he would go to police, have the spa raided and have her jailed for sex trafficking and fraud.

“There is an amicable way to settle this or we escalate the war. Your choice. Think of your kid’s sake, don’t do silly things,” the WhatsApp message Nitha claims was sent by Hinchcliffe in August said.

“A few days after the raid on September 5, 2024, Hinchcliffe again threatened Nitha with a What’s App message. He confirmed the raid happened because of him,” Nitha’s statement said.

“If Nitha still refuses then Hinchliffe said Flame will be closed forever and Nitha and all her staff will be completely imprisoned.”

Sarnanitha was arrested when Flame Spa was raided.

Customers at Flame Spa were allegedly charged between $95 and $181.

Prostitution and sex work is illegal in Bali and considered a crime against “decency and morality” with district police periodically enforcing the law by carrying out raids on the party island.

It is unclear whether Olarenshaw or the other Australians had any knowledge of the goings-on at Flame.

When questions were put to the alleged Australian business partners by the Herald Sun, only Hinchliffe responded, saying he had taken “preliminary advice which is to caution you to refrain from naming Australian parties, or making any assertion which is not strictly and factually correct.”

“We understand that you intend to publish an article relating to the operation of the business, Flame Spa Bali.

Rick Olarenshaw (centre) with Wayne Carey (right) at Flame Spa.

“If you make any publication which is defamatory, we will formally instruct counsel to prevent any further publication,” Hinchliffe wrote in response to a series of questions in relation to Nitha’s statement and the Bali sex raids arrest.

Nitha told the Herald Sun Olanreshaw and his alleged business partners left for Australia on August 26, before the Flame Spa raids took place.

Bali police also conducted sweeping searches on a second massage parlour, the Pink Palace Spa in Kerobokan, arresting Melbourne couple Lynley and Michael Le Grand who faces 12 years in prison if found guilty of involvement in the alleged prostitution ring.

On Friday after the Herald Sun first reported on the sex raids, Bali police held a press conference escorting 11 handcuffed people from the detention centre at their Denpasar headquarters and detailing the alleged prostitution operation.

According to a Bali police spokesman, officers seized items as evidence, including lingerie, condoms and massage oil, and allege that the venue was offering sex for paying customers.

Five people were arrested at Flame Spa, while the Le Grands were two of six arrested at the Pink Palace Spa.

An underage massage therapist was also found to be working at the Pink Palace Spa, according to investigators.

Originally published as Ex-AFL star’s wife makes impassioned plea from Bali jail after sex raids scandal