Sydney dad in Bali jail over Gucci bag ‘theft’

A Sydney man has been arrested and locked up in Bali’s notorious Kerobokan prison accused of stealing a $A1250 Gucci bag from a duty free shop.

A Sydney man has been arrested and locked up in Bali, accused of stealing a $A1250 Gucci bag from a Kuta duty free shop.

Bilal Kalache, 43, is now in Bali’s Kerobokan prison facing a stealing charge which carries a maximum five-year jail term.

Kalache was arrested on January 10 this year and the arrest kept under wraps until now.

But unlike Melbourne woman Catherine Anne Hogg, who was arrested this week on suspicion of stealing a pair of earrings from an up-market boutique but who was released after reaching a peace agreement with the shop, Kalache’s case has already progressed to prosecutors.

He has been moved to Kerobokan prison where he is awaiting a court date in Denpasar District Court.

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Sydney man Bilal Kalache, 43, has been arrested in Bali accused of stealing a $1250 Gucci bag from a duty free store in Kuta. Picture: Supplied

Kuta police investigator, Putu Ika Prabawa, said Kalache’s case was handed this week to prosecutors who will now bring him to court.

Mr Prabawa said it was alleged that about 4pm on January 10 Kalache went to the duty free shopping mall at Bali Galeria shopping centre with his son and a friend.

It is alleged that inside the Gucci store they chose a black bag from a showcase and the shop assistant went to collect a new bag from the back.

Mr Prabawa said it was alleged that Kalache then chose another Gucci sling bag, cream in colour, from the showcase and slung it across his body.

He then allegedly went to the cashier to pay during which two shop assistants had spoken about whether the bag collected from the back of the store was the one Kalache was buying.

There was then some verbal argument between a shop assistant and a man with Kalache and it is alleged that Kalache told the shop assistant to apologise to his friend.

“The suspect then left the Gucci store with his son and friend. When they left the store the bag that was slung across the suspect’s body hadn’t been paid for,” Mr Prabawa said.

Bali’s Kerobokan prison where the Australian is being held.

The Duty Free staff then searched for the suspect at a villa address written down during the payment process however he was not staying there.

Kalache was later located at the airport.

Mr Prabawa said it was alleged that when his son’s suitcase was opened the cream Gucci bag was inside.

Kalache and the evidence were then handed to Kuta police for investigation.

Police said the bag was valued at 12,282,500 IDR or about AU$1250.

“We have handed over the suspect and evidence to Badung prosecutor’s office. He has been moved to Kerobokan prison early this week,” Mr Prabawa said.

He said Kalache was on holiday in Bali and on the day of his arrest had taken his son to the airport to fly home.

Kalache himself had not been due to return to Australia that day.

Kalache’s case is now in the hands of prosecutors who will hand it to the court to set a date for the trial.

It comes as police confirmed that Melbourne woman Catherine Anne Hogg has been released after spending five days in custody on suspicion of stealing a pair of AU$550 earrings from an up-market Seminyak store in an unrelated matter.

Hogg’s release came after she and her lawyers reached a peace agreement with the store, whereby she paid the store AU$1100 and signed a document of apology.