Ex-AFL star Ricky Olarenshaw hit with bombshell claim in ‘Bali brothel’ scandal

Damning allegations have been made against former Essendon player Ricky Olarenshaw as his wife fights charges that she ran a Bali spa which allegedly offered sexual services.

Essendon premiership hero Ricky Olarenshaw “personally selected” the therapists working in an alleged Bali brothel according to a bombshell claim.

Essendon premiership hero Ricky Olarenshaw “personally selected” the therapists working in an alleged Bali brothel.

A witness in the case against Olarenshaw’s estranged wife Sarnanitha made the bombshell claim that the former AFL star was a key figure in the operations of the Flame Spa.

Sarnanitha, also known as Nitha, has been fighting charges that she was in charge of running the Flame Spa, which Bali police say was offering sexual services.

She faces up to 12 years jail if convicted of breaching Bali’s strict laws on prostitution.

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

Nitha has blamed her estranged husband as being the mastermind of the operation, accusing him of using her name on the paperwork.

Now Made Wirtayasa, a former worker at the Flame Spa, has revealed that Olarenshaw was at the Flame Spa “every day”.

The 1993 flag winning wingman did the interviews for the new spa therapists, who were exclusively female.

“When there is a therapist recruitment, I show them to Mr. Ricky and Mr. Ricky will be interviewing,” Mr Wirtayasa said in a translated statement outside court.

“After Mr Ricky finish the interview, we will follow it up. If they are accepted , they will sign a contract.“

When asked to clarify if Olarenshaw conducted the interviews for therapists, he replied: “Yes, that’s true in my knowledge.”

Nitha has blamed her estranged husband as being the mastermind of the operation.

Arrested Flame Spa workers in Bali. Picture: Bali Police

Olarenshaw escaped Bali before his estranged wife was arrested following a raid on the Flame Spa in September.

A waiter who testified inside court on Tuesday said that Nitha was the wife of “one of the owners, Mr Ricky.”

“In my knowledge, there are four foreigners that own the Flame spa. They are Mr. Ricky, Darren, Adam and Hinchy,” former waiter Sedana Yoga said.

Wirtayasa said in court that Olarenshaw was the most active of the foreign owners.

“Ricky often come. Adam and Hinchy usually only twice a month. Darren only come sometime. Ricky is the most often come,” Wirtayasa said.

The court heard that staff were not allowed to have relationships with customers, with a specific clause written into their contracts.

The Flame Spa also included a room where customers could select their therapists before getting a massage, in the same way women are selected at a brothel.

Olarenshaw has been accused of personally selecting the therapists.

Nitha remains in custody at Bali’s main police station in Denpasar.

She has not seen the nine-year-old daughter she shares with Olarenshaw since she was detained.

Olarenshaw has been keeping a low profile in Australia since news broke of his estranged wife’s arrest.

The Flame Spa raid happened around the same time as another alleged brothel run by a middle class Melbourne couple was shut down.

Lynley and Michael Le Grand have a separate case to answer over allegations the Pink Palace Spa, which they own, was offering sexual services, including by girls as young as 15.

Olarenshaw has not returned calls.