Three Australians face the possible death penalty after they were arrested by Indonesian police following the shooting of two Melbourne men in a suspected gangland attack in a Balinese villa.
Zivan ‘Stipe’ Radmanovic, 35, and Sanar Ghanim, 34, were shot just after midnight on Saturday at a villa in Munggu – in Badung Regency in Bali’s south – in an attack believed to be linked to Melbourne‘s feuding Middle Eastern crime syndicates.
Radmanovic died at the scene after he was shot twice in the chest and once in the foot, while Ghanim was rushed to Kuta’s BIMC Hospital with gunshot wounds.
Ghanim is the former partner of Danielle Stephens, who is the stepdaughter of slain Melbourne gangland boss Carl Williams. He was discharged from hospital on Sunday, using a wheelchair and nursing a bandaged leg, and has refused to co-operate with local authorities.
Bali Police Chief, Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya, confirmed on Wednesday that three Australians had been arrested after a days-long manhunt.
One of the suspected gunmen, Darcy Francesco Jenson, 37, was arrested in Jakarta, about 18 hours’ drive west from the scene of the shooting.
Another alleged gunman, Mevlut Coskun, 23, was arrested in Singapore. A third man who allegedly helped to plan the attack, Midolmore Tupou, 37, was arrested in Melbourne.
‘One suspect was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta Airport while attempting to leave Indonesia. The other two had already left the country but were successfully brought back to Indonesia thanks to cooperation with Interpol,’ Mr Adityajaya said.
One of the suspected gunmen, Darcy Francesco Jenson (pictured), was arrested in Jakarta, about 18 hours’ drive west from the scene of the shooting
Another alleged gunman, Mevlut Coskun (pictured), was arrested in Singapore
A third man who allegedly helped to plan the attack, Midolmore Tupou (pictured), was arrested in Melbourne
He said the suspects had changed vehicles multiple times in a desperate bid to flee Indonesia.
‘First, they used a motorbike, then switched to a white Toyota Fortuner, which was later found in the Tabanan area,’ he said.
‘After that, they changed vehicles again, this time to an XL7, and traveled to Surabaya.
‘They then attempted to leave the country via [Jakarta’s] Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
‘However, with the joint efforts of Metro Jaya Police and the National Police Crime Unit, we were able to prevent [one of them] from leaving Indonesia.’
Mr Adityajaya said they now faced the death penalty if they are charged over the attack.
‘They may be charged under Article 340 of the Criminal Code for premeditated murder, which carries a maximum sentence of the death penalty,’ he said.
From last night local time the three suspects had been ‘undergoing intensive interrogation’, he added.
Zivan ‘Stipe’ Radmanovic (pictured with his wife Jazmyn Gourdeas) died at the scene after he was shot twice in the chest and once in the foot
Surviving victim Sanar Ghanim (pictured) refused to speak with police after he left hospital
Police had also seized cash, passports, vehicles and a sledgehammer as part of their investigation
Police had also seized cash, passports, vehicles and a sledgehammer as part of their investigation.
Earlier on Wednesday, footage emerged of one of the alleged gunmen being hauled back to Bali in handcuffs, with a jumper obscuring his face.
Both Ghanim and Radmonovic’s family are currently being kept on the island ‘under close police watch’, authorities said.
Daily Mail Australia understands the Radmanovic family has signed the paperwork for an autopsy to be carried out, after previously delaying the process.
An examination of Radmanovic by a forensic doctor indicated he had been shot several times and also beaten.
Ghanim and his partner had been living in Bali for some time, while Radmanovic and his wife, mother-of-six Jazmyn Gourdeas, are understood to have arrived with her family on Thursday to celebrate her 30th birthday.
The Bali Tribune reported Gourdeas was sleeping when she heard her husband screaming at 12.15am.
Peeking out from behind a blanket, she saw a man wearing an orange jacket and a second man gunning down her husband in the toilet.
Earlier on Wednesday, footage emerged of one of the suspected gunmen being hauled back to Bali in handcuffs, with a jumper obscuring his face
The alleged killers – one was said by a witness to have had a ‘thick Australian accent’ – were last seen fleeing the villa (pictured) on motorbikes
Images from the villa show a man, believed to be Radmanovic, lying motionless next to a toilet. Moments later, Ms Gourdeas heard more gunfire before Ghanim screamed.
It’s understood Ghanim suffered several gunshot wounds in his bed before Ms Gourdeas tried to stop the bleeding as they waited for emergency services.
‘[She] ran out of the room and shouted when she saw Sanar was bleeding and went back to the toilet to check her husband’s condition by checking his pulse,’ an unnamed Bali Police officer said.
A fourth person in the villa – believed to be a family member – managed to flee the property while gunshots rang out.
Police found 9mm bullet casings – 17 in total – and 55 bullet fragments at the scene.
Indonesia has strict gun laws, and local police are still investigating how the alleged gunmen had obtained their weapons.
