Three Australian men charged over alleged murder of Zivan Radmanovic face court in Bali
A fourth Australian has now been implicated in the gangland-style execution of Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic in Bali.
The orders that led to the storming of a luxury villa in Bali leading to the execution of Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic and shooting of his mate, Sanar Ghanim, were being made from Australia via an encrypted app, an Indonesian court has heard.
As first revealed by this masthead, a fourth person has been implicated in the months-long planning that ended in bloodshed in Munggu June 14.
The mystery Australian has not been named.
But on Thursday, during the first day of the trial, the Bali court heard that one of the accused Australians, plumber Darcy Francesco Jenson, from Sydney, was allegedly receiving instructions from an “Australian national” via app THREEMA.
Jenson was allegedly instructed via the app on multiple occasions, including on June 6, a week before the raid, including passport photos of Mevlut Coskun and Paea I Middlemore, to rent cars and other equipment used in the crime.
Unprecedented security has surrounded the trial of three Australian men as they were charged with murder over a Bali gangland-style hit in Denpasar on Thursday.
Jenson, 27, Coskun, 22, and Melbourne man Tupou, 26, were secured by 140 police officers, including the bomb squad, who stood guard outside Denpasar District Court.
They have been charged with gun possession, premeditated murder and murder, which carry the death penalty under Indonesian law.
The Australian men, who were transported to court in two armoured vehicles, had their indictment read on Thursday afternoon (AEST), with the proceedings split — Jenson facing trial alone, while Coskun and Tupou were tried together.
“The defendant Melvut Coskun and Paea I Meddlemore Tupou on Saturday, 14 June 2025, in Villa Casa Santisya 1, on Jl Munggu, Seseh, Badung, has committed a crime – Those who committed, ordered to be committed, and participated in committing the act, intentionally and with prior planning to take the life of the victim Zivan Radmanovic,” the prosecutor told the court.
Coskun and Tupou had used a hammer to break down the gate of Casa Santisya Villa, where the victim stayed, the prosecutor said.
Then, Coskun and Tupou both shot at Radmanovic, and Sanar Ghanim who survived the ambush, using a-9-mm caliber firearm, the indictment alleges.
The prosecutor told the court that the victims, who were awakened by the sound of the door being smashed, immediately fled to the bathroom.
“First defendant Melvut Coskun shot several times at witness Sanar Ghanim, while second defendant Paea I Meddlemore Tupou shot several times at victim Zivan Radmanovic.”
During the ordeal, Radmanovic’s wife Jazmyn Petra Gourdeas saw someone who was wearing orange pants and a jacket, enter her room.
Meanwhile Ghanim’s partner Daniella Mandalena Gourdeas, who was sleeping with Ghanim, had hidden beside the bed, the prosecutor told the court.
When she heard the sound of gun fire, Mandalena Gourdeas ran for her life towards the main road while screaming for help from residents passing by, according to the indictment.
“After first defendant Melvut Coskun and second defendant Paea I Meddlemore Tupou succeeded in shooting several times, they fled the scene using two motorbikes,” the prosecutor said.
Badung Police chief Arif Batubara said the trial was under tight security following a request from the prosecutor’s office and the court.
“We deployed 146 personnels to secure the trial process,” he said.
Mr Batubara denied that a threat had been received from any parties prior to Thursday’s court proceedings.
“So far, there is no indication of any threat. The tight security was only conducted because there was demand from the court and prosecutor office,” he said.
Radmanovic’s family attended the trial, but refused to make any comment.
The three defendants did not lodge any objection following Thursday’s hearing.
The trial will return to court on Monday, November 3, with Radmanovic’s family set to give their testimony.
If found guilty of the charges, specifically premeditated murder, the Australians could be executed by firing squad under Indonesian law.
