The owner of a tattoo studio in Bali has accused an Australian man and another man of vandalizing his shop over a cash debt they claimed was owed to them.
Nizar Simahardy owns Evolve Ink Studio in Denpasar, the capital of the Indonesian resort island, and complained to police about the alleged incident earlier this month.
He alleged that an Australian called David and another man known as ‘Mike’ entered his shop at around 6.30pm on June 2 demanding money.
When Mr Simahardy’s staff refused the request, the pair allegedly smashed a glass refrigerator inside the studio with a chair and later that night they returned and threw a rock at the front glass wall of the store, causing a large crack.
The alleged act sparked a street fight when nearby vigilantes attempted to arrest the two men.
Simahardy said he knew nothing about the debt the men claimed to owe because he only took over the rent for the tattoo studio about six months ago.
‘Is not true. “I don’t owe you any money,” he told Daily Mail Australia this week.
He allegedly said the owner of the tattoo studio owed him money. I bought it in December, so maybe it’s the former owner who owes him money.
Nizar Simahardy (pictured) outside his tattoo shop, Evolve Ink Studio in Denpasar, the capital of Bali, where he put up a sign of the driver’s license of the man he claims broke his window.
After a rock was thrown into the window of a tattoo shop on June 2, a fight broke out in the street.
Kuta Police Chief Ketut Agus Pasek Sudina confirmed that local police had received a complaint about the alleged incident and were investigating.
‘We are now chasing the perpetrator. We have also coordinated with Immigration,” said Mr. Sudina.
When asked if the accused Australian had left Bali, Sudina said he was not sure.
Simahardy said that on the afternoon of June 2 he had left the store at around 6:20 pm even though it was busy.
‘I left early because it was my son’s birthday. “I needed to go buy a birthday cake,” he said.
‘The studio was full of clients. The two men arrived about 10 minutes later, at 6:30 p.m.
“One of my friends, Tia, called me from the studio and told me that David was there and said we owed him money.”
Simahardy explained that he and Tia knew the man because he was a client of this tattoo studio and a previous one they had nearby.
He said Tia told David that the studio had recently changed ownership, but he seemed not to believe her and became angry before leaving several minutes later.
“I heard the whole conversation over the phone and how David was angry at my staff,” Simahardy said.
‘I told them to be careful and to call the people outside if they came again.
‘Several minutes after that, David returned and continued saying, “I want my money,” then grabbed a chair and hit the refrigerator with the chair, damaging it.
‘My friend called me again and I told her to take a photo. But she only took a photo of the refrigerator, not of David, because I think she was in shock.
Staff at the tattoo studio (pictured) said the men smashed a glass refrigerator with a chair.
He said it was around 7pm when David and the other man left the studio and he ordered his staff to close the shop and go home.
“I decided to go ahead with my plan for my son’s birthday and not go into the studio, but I told them to close because I was worried he would come back.”
Later that night, however, a rock was thrown at the studio’s glass showcase around 10 p.m., causing a large crack.
“Fortunately, there was no one inside the studio,” Simahardy said.
Staff at the neighboring art store told him that the next day they had seen two “foreigners” throwing a rock at the window, causing an altercation with passers-by.
The staff told him that when the couple tried to flee on a motorcycle they collided with another foreigner, sparking an all-out street fight.
The locals eventually helped the two away and calmed down the fight.
Simahardy said the damage to his store and its closure on a busy night had cost him more than 10 million Indonesian rupees (about $1,000 Australian dollars) and he wants an apology to his shocked staff.
Simahardy said his staff, which includes several women (left), were shocked and frightened by the incident.
He has put up a sign with David’s driver’s license, which he had on file when he was a customer.
The address on the license is understood to be his mother’s home in Australia, where he has not resided for several years.
‘I think David is still here in Bali. My friend told me that he (he might be in) the Uluwatu area,’ he said.
“I just hope he can pay for the damages and be responsible for what he has (allegedly) done.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted David for comment.
