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

The estranged wife of former AFL star Ricky Olarenshaw has made a desperate plea from a Bali prison, claiming she has been exploited by her husband and his 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 estranged wife of AFL premiership player Ricky ­Olarenshaw – arrested over the Bali sex spa scandal – claims she has been exploited by the former Bombers star and his business partners.

Sarnanitha Olarenshaw was arrested last week over her involvement in Flame Spa, Seminyak, which police claim was engaged in prostitution.

Sarnanitha, aka Nitha, claims that a raid on the venue in September came after she caught Olarenshaw cheating and a dispute with his business partners over dividends in the venue.

The former footballer’s glamorous wife and influencer now fears she could rot in jail for a decade and lose custody of her daughter.

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

Olarenshaw and his business partners, who include his brother Darren, are understood to have returned to Australia in late August, before Bali police raided the venue.

Sources close to Olarenshaw say he plans to stay in Australia “indefinitely”.

Nitha claims her estranged husband and his mates have exploited her.

Before her arrest, Nitha made a statement through her lawyer, Donny Tri Istiqomah, in which she claimed Olarenshaw and his business partners were threatening her amid a money dispute.

In the statement, seen by the Herald Sun, she said: “Please help me. I am worried I am going to be arrested today and lose my daughter.”

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

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

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

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

Nitha also alleged she had caught him “cheating” in ­August. This, she claims, led to the other business partners putting pressure on her – as shareholders in the company – to pay them money relating to Flame Spa.

She alleged Mr Hinchliffe threatened her in WhatsApp 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, Mr 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 Hinchliffe in August said.

“A few days after the raid on September 5, 2024, Hinchliffe again threatened Nitha with a WhatsApp 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.”

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

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

Sarnanitha was arrested when Flame Spa was raided.

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

When questions were put to the alleged Australian business partners by the Herald Sun, only Mr 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,” Mr Hinchliffe wrote in response to questions relating to Nitha’s statement and arrest.

“If you make any publication which is defamatory, we will formally instruct counsel to prevent any further publication,” Mr Hinchliffe wrote.

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

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

Bali police also conducted sweeping searches of a second massage parlour, the Pink Palace Spa in Kerobokan, arresting Melbourne couple Lynley and Michael Le Grand, who face 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 arrests at the Pink Palace Spa. An underage massage therapist was also found to be working at the Pink Palace Spa, according to investigators