Wife of former AFL star Ricky Olarenshaw arrested in Bali sex raids
Former Essendon star Ricky Olarenshaw has left Bali amid claims he was part-owner of a spa allegedly involved in “prostitution practices”, as a Melbourne woman and Bali bombing survivor was arrested in a police sting.
Page 13
Don't miss out on the headlines from Page 13. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Essendon premiership star Ricky Olarenshaw has left Bali amid allegations he part-owned a spa engaged in prostitution.
Two Australians have been arrested for operating a spa that allegedly offered prostitution services.
One of those — mother-of-three Lynley Le Grand, 44 — is a Bali bomb survivor.
She was arrested alongside her husband, Michael Le Grand, 50, in the same police sting targeting alleged illegal prostitution which also caught the wife of Essendon premiership player Olarenshaw, social media influencer Sarnanitha.
Lynley and Michael Le Grand from Mount Waverly and Moonee Ponds were paraded in front of the media in orange jumpsuits during a press conference on Friday. They had been taken into custody earlier this week after the police raids.
The Flame Spa, in Seminyak, and the Pink Palace Spa, in Kerobokan, were the establishments targeted in the raids.
Olarenshaw recently left Bali amid claims he was a part-owner of Flame Spa.
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.
Aussies arrested over alleged prostitution links
Footage shows the moment officers escorted 11 handcuffed people from the detention centre at the headquarters of Bali Police, in Denpasar.
Police escorted them through a carpark outside the police station to a media conference where they were then lined up in a row with their backs turned against cameras.
Police stood behind them as the Australian couple had their heads bowed before they were led away with the other suspects.
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.
The Melbourne couple faces 12 years in prison if found guilty.
Police held up pieces of evidence collected from the spas. The Flame Spa, in Seminyak, and the Pink Palace Spa, in Kerobokan, have been shut down.
General crime director of Bali police, Ketut Suarnaya said: “Bali police have followed up on information from the community that there was prostitution being disguised as spa therapy in two separate places.”
Customers at Flame Spa were allegedly charged between $95 and $181, while customers at Pink Palace paid anywhere between $95 and $238, police said. Pink Palace Spa allegedly made between $A94,500-$286,000 per month.
It comes after Olarenshaw left Bali amid claims he was a part-owner of Flame Spa.
His wife, Sarnanitha, was arrested when police raided the massage parlour last month.
A long-time resident of the Indonesian party island, Olarenshaw allegedly split from Sarnanitha and their young daughter about the same time.
He is known as “The King of Bali” in AFL circles and last year drew headlines for his “epic” 50th birthday bash, surrounded by pole dancers and scantily clad women.
He moved to the island paradise in 2013 and became a successful businessman off the back of three F45 gym studios.
He has been long known as the go-to man for AFL stars wanting to party in Bali over the past decade.
Olarenshaw was a member of the “Baby Bombers” 1993 premiership side alongside superstars James Hird, Dustin Fletcher and Mark Mercuri.
He became a driving force for Australian rules in Bali, coaching and playing for the local Geckos football team.
One of his former teammates Wayne Carey – he switched to North Melbourne for one season at the end of his career – has been a regular, with his Instagram full of well-known football identities such as Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin and Ricky Nixon.
Olarenshaw and his business partners are believed to have returned to Australia just before the raids took place.
It is unclear whether Olarenshaw or the other owners had any knowledge of the goings-on at Flame.
Prostitution and sex work is illegal in Bali and considered a crime against “decency and morality”.
At the time of the raids, the head of public relations of the Bali Police, senior commissioner of police Jansen Avitus Panjaitan, said three women had been arrested.
“The three people are Flame Spa employees – one manager and two receptionists,” he said in a statement in Denpasar last month, adding the case was still under investigation.
Sarnanitha, who is named as a commissioner at Flame Spa, was later arrested along with director “Purnami” on October 4 and are languishing in a Bali police detention cell along with the three other spa staff.
“The next process is to obtain legal certainty,” Mr Panjaitan said.
Flames Spa has the motto “Our service is more than just a sensual massage, it is an erotic experience. Our aim is to ignite your flame”.
Sarnanitha has more than 20,000 followers on social media.
She is fighting to avoid a lengthy stint in jail and is worried her young daughter with Olarenshaw will be taken away from her.
Through her lawyer, Donny Tri Istiqomah, Sarnanitha made a statement – before being detained – that Page 13 has seen.
She states the sensual massage leading to prostitution was run by Olarenshaw and his Australian business partners, and she felt exploited in the management of Flame Spa, which provided sensual massage services.
In the statement, she also alleges that after she and Olarenshaw separated this year, the other shareholders demanded she hand over the unpaid dividends or else they would imprison Sarnanitha along with other Flame staff “through their network in the police”.
The Herald Sun is not saying her allegations are true, only that they have been made.
None of the men alleged to be involved responded to Page 13’s inquiries when asked about Flame Spa.
There is no suggestion any of those football identities ever engaged in services at the Flame Spa.
Woman arrested a Bali bombing survivor
Now a long term Bali resident, Lynley Le Grand has previously spoken publicly of how her life changed forever at Paddy’s Bar in Kuta when terrorist bombs went off in 2002.
“We were literally blown in different directions. I was about a metre and a half from where I was standing was where I finished up,” she told ABC on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist Bali bombings.
After helping a friend out of the bar, Lynley was fighting for her life with “30 per cent burns” across her upper body and back and was later treated at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
“By that stage our bodies had expanded with far too much with fluid and our organs shutting down, so it was a matter of patching up what they could, getting skin from areas that they could and dealing with the process of recovery after that,” she said.
Le Grand now calls Bali home, running restaurants including The Corner cafe and homes as part of the island’s tourist trade.
“Families have had to deal with losing somebody for twenty years and we have had to deal with building a life,” she said.
“We were young, we were 22 and that’s what I wanted my kids to always know. That you are judging by the culture and the people and somebody’s action does not necessarily define a country.
“Now it is time the island has some peace and is able to redevelop and get some tourism back in positive ways so the people here can grow and experience life without negativity.”
The couple also owned two bars and a “spectacular restaurant” in Bali, as well as renting out a luxury villa.
The couple had opened two bars named GOAT – “Greatest of all Time” – in Seminyak and Legian.
The pubs beamed Australian races live into the Bali watering holes, which targeted the long-term expat community.
Mr Le Grand was previously arrested in 2022 over allegations that gambling, which is illegal in Bali, was happening at the pub he owned, but was never charged.
He had advertised for staff when opening his second GOAT pub earlier this year.
“We are now hiring all our future superstars for this fantastic new venue,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“We are looking for people to join our ever expanding GOAT empire that live and breathe hospitality.”
Mr Le Grand also advertised a luxury villa he opened in 2022.
“INTRODUCING..... Sumudra Raya Villas (translates to GREAT OCEAN). The ultimate in Luxury Villa Accommodation in the whole of Bali!
“Exquisite is possibly not a strong enough adjective to describe the beauty and ambience of this modern masterpiece!
“Located in the beautiful and very popular area of Seminyak where shopping, fine eateries, great night-life, world class beach clubs, perfect massages and the most magnificent beaches are just minutes away!”
The couple also owned the Corner House, which claimed to have the “greatest breakfast, lunch and dinner deals in Bali.”
“Our food is spectacular, our coffee is amazing, our beers ice cold, our cocktails extensive,” its website said.
That Bali business empire came shortly after a $3.6 million home in Sandringham, which was listed as Mr Le Grand’s address on company documents, was sold in 2021.
Company documents also revealed Mr Le Grand had three companies still operating in Australia, including Fremont Constructions, Gargantuan Concepts and Gargantuan Events.
All three businesses were linked to the Edwards Street, Sandringham property.
Fresh revelations in finale of Melbourne Racing Club fiasco
Two more committee members have quietly exited the Melbourne Racing Club as the fiasco continues but it’s the departing negotiations that may have some members seeing red.
Claws out as TV networks circle Seven’s top-end stars
It hasn’t been a great year for Channel 7, and now word is out that rival TV networks are headhunting some of the newsroom’s top-end talent.