Australian wedding celebrant Greg Egli jailed in Bali, but will serve part of sentence in rehab

An Australian wedding celebrant originally from Melbourne, who admitted buying methamphetamines in Bali, has been jailed — but there’s a twist to how he’ll serve his sentence.

An Australian wedding celebrant has been jailed in Bali for eight months after being convicted of possessing methamphetamines.

But most of his sentence will be served in a drug rehabilitation centre, not jail.

Greg Egli, formerly of Keilor, Melbourne, appeared in Denpasar District Court late Thursday to be sentenced after a police search of his Bali home uncovered 0.33 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

The 41-year-old, who runs a wedding business in Bali and is regularly pictured conducting ceremonies, has been in jail since his arrest in late January.

Australian man Greg Egli, 41, arrested in Bali on January 28 this year and accused of possessing 0.33 grams of methamphetamine. Picture: Facebook/ Supplied

He had originally faced drug possession charges which carry a maximum 12-year sentence but was eventually convicted of abusing drugs for himself which carries a much lesser sentence.

Egli has been in jail at Kerobokan prison since January and the court ordered that the remaining five months of his sentence was to be served in a drug rehabilitation centre.

Increasingly, the Bali courts have been sentencing foreigners who can prove drug addiction to rehabilitation rather than mainstream jail.

Egli accepted the sentence and told reporters he had no comment.

His lawyer, Edy Hendrawan, said his client wanted to be free of drugs.

Greg Egli, has been in custody since late January when Balinese police allegedly found 0.33 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia during a search of the 41-year-old’s rented home. Picture: Nine News

“We thank the panel of judges for sentencing our client to rehabilitation. He deserves it. He is a drug user and he really wants to be clean from drugs,” Mr Hendrawan said.

Presiding Judge, Eka Putra, said Egli had been found guilty of abusing a type one narcotic for himself.

“Therefore sentence the defendant to eight months. Order the defendant to undergo medical rehabilitation for five months at Anargya drugs rehabilitation centre,” Judge Eka Putra told the court.

The court had heard that an assessment team had recommended Egli undergo rehabilitation and the judges accepted this.

Australian man Greg Egli at one of his weddings where he was a celebrant. Picture: Facebook/ Supplied

“The defendant’s act is against the Government’s program to eradicate drugs,” Judge Eka Putra said.

But he said the defendant had admitted his mistake, expressed remorse and promised not to repeat his crime.

Prosecutors had recommended that Egli be jailed for one year for his crime.

The court heard earlier that when police interrogated Egli after his arrest he admitted buying the drugs from a man called Derry for Rp 2.3 million or about $A230.

He told police he had been using drugs since February last year and that forensic tests on urine and blood had been positive to methamphetamine traces.

The court heard that he smoked the methamphetamine and injected it.

Once the paperwork is complete Egli will be moved from Kerobokan jail, where he is held now, to the drug rehabilitation centre.