Claims that Australian teenager Jamie Murphy was "set up" by security guards at a Balinese nightclub have been dealt a blow, with revelations that the footage thought to show him being detained on suspicion of drug possession was actually a re-enactment.
Friends of the 18-year-old Perth resident had posted footage of the incident online, saying it showed a security guard already holding a small white plastic bag in his hand before opening Mr Murphy's bag at Kuta nightclub Skygarden in the early hours of Tuesday.
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Bishop warns against foreign law breaking
Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has pleaded with young Australians to obey the laws of the countries they visit amid the recent arrest in Bali of a 18-year-old man from Perth on alleged drug charges.
"You can clearly see the cocaine in the security's hand BEFORE he even opened up the bag, don't drag his name through the gutter when even the video u posted has it clearly showing a set up," one of Mr Murphy's friends, Ty Airey, wrote on Facebook in a message that was shared thousands of times
But the footage actually showed the nightclub's security guards re-enacting for police how the incident unfolded at the nightclub earlier in the night, according to the nightclub and to media at the scene.
Mr Murphy, a talented soccer player who has trialled for A-League side Perth Glory, graduated from Ellenbrook Secondary College in Perth in 2015, and had travelled to Bali with a group of friends during schoolies week. But he is now in custody in Kuta police station after he was allegedly found carrying the small plastic bag containing the white powder.
In a statement, Skygarden management said Mr Murphy was given a "routine body check" when he arrived at the nightclub about 12.45am on Tuesday. The statement said Mr Murphy was instructed to open his body bag, when security officers allegedly discovered the small bag.
The statement said Mr Murphy was then taken to a mobile police station, where "our security were ordered to re-enact the sequence of events that had transpired". Media organisations were present, the statement said.
The person who filmed the footage told Fairfax Media that the footage showed "a re-enactment by security officers to police".
Mr Murphy remains in custody while the white powder undergoes forensic testing.
Denpasar crime laboratory chief Kusnadi said on Wednesday that "we have completed all the tests. Urine, blood and the evidence (white substance). We are just waiting for Kuta police to pick up the result.
"We can't reveal what the results are," he said.
If the substance is found to be drugs, Mr Murphy could face a maximum of 12 years in prison if arrested and convicted.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop told Channel Nine's Today show that Australian consular officials would visit Mr Murphy on Wednesday, and staff had been in contact with his family in Perth.
Mr Murphy's situation should serve as a warning to other schoolies, she said, although Mr Murphy is not a schoolie.
"This is an opportunity for me to say, again, if you are travelling overseas you have to remember that, once you leave Australia, you leave the Australian legal system, you leave the support system here and you are subject to the laws of another country," Ms Bishop said.
"And in the case of Indonesia, the laws can be very harsh for offences or activities in Australia that might seem minor. So it is a warning to all those who are going overseas on schoolies week, and to their parents and friends, that we are subject to the laws of another country when we visit those countries."
Asked about the "aggressive" way Mr Murphy appeared to be handled in footage from the nightclub, Ms Bishop said she had "witnessed this kind of behaviour before from the Indonesian police".
"And we've seen it in a number of circumstances. But, again, I say we're subject to their laws, to their system and the way they do things," Ms Bishop said.
Mr Murphy is believed to have arrived in Bali on Sunday with a group of friends.
Five friends visited him at Kuta Police Station on Tuesday, delivering him a McDonald's takeaway and a soft drink.
Mr Murphy's brother, Liam, called for privacy for his family on Facebook.
"As much as we appreciate the love and support for Jamie during this time, we respectfully request that no comments or discussions be publicly made on social media, or local media until further notice from the family," he said.
"Please respect our privacy as we are dealing with this now through the embassy and Australian government. Thank you."
Gerry Maio, president of the Perth-based Bayswater City Soccer Club where Mr Murphy plays, said the teenager's mother was overwhelmed by what had happened.
"Of course she was in tears as any mother would be," he told ABC radio.
"It's very hard to gather everything together."
He described Mr Murphy as a wonderful young man and athlete and said the allegations were uncharacteristic of him.
"He was a very promising athlete in our sport. I haven't even seen him with a bottle of beer in his hand," Mr Maio said.
Ms Bishop said the teenager could be held for three days while an investigation took place and another three days while a decision was made about whether or not to arrest him.
With AAP