BADUNG, Bali – The Bali villa shooting trial involving three Australian defendants has revealed the existence of a suspected Australian mastermind who allegedly ordered the fatal attack at Villa Casa Santisya 1 in Munggu-Seseh, Badung, that killed one and injured another in June 2025.

Three Australians — Mevlut Coskun (22), Paea-I-Midelmore Tupou (26), and Darcy Francesco Jenson (27) — faced their first hearing at Denpasar District Court on Thursday (Oct 30), escorted in armored tactical vehicles under heavy security from Brimob Polda Bali. Prosecutors from the Badung District Attorney’s Office disclosed that an unidentified Australian citizen directed the men to acquire weapons, vehicles, and disguises for the shooting that left victim Zivan Radmanovic dead and Sanar Ghanim seriously wounded.

The case unfolded like a planned military operation. According to the indictment, Jenson first rented a villa in April 2025 under his own name and began receiving encrypted instructions from a group chat on Threema, a secure messaging platform. He purchased motorcycles, rented cars, and coordinated the arrival of his co-accused, Coskun and Tupou, from Jakarta to Surabaya, and later to Bali. The men stayed in multiple locations, moving between rented villas, hotels, and gyms to avoid attention while gathering tools and weapons.

Prosecutors detailed how Jenson purchased gloves, backpacks, masks, and even a hammer later used to break into Villa Casa Santisya. On June 14, around 12:15 a.m., Coskun and Tupou allegedly stormed the villa wearing ride-hailing jackets to disguise themselves. Inside, Radmanovic and Ghanim were startled awake by the noise. Tupou reportedly broke through the gate using the hammer, and both men opened fire with 9 mm pistols — killing Radmanovic instantly and wounding Ghanim. The assault was witnessed by Radmanovic’s wife, Jazmyn, while Ghanim’s wife, Daniella, fled screaming for help onto the main road.

After the attack, the trio fled using two Yamaha Lexy motorcycles, abandoned them in a field in Buwit, Tabanan, and switched to a rented white Suzuki XL7. They then escaped to Surabaya, stayed at a DoubleTree Hilton, and continued to Jakarta by bus. From there, they booked flights to Cambodia via Singapore — but were arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport before departure.

An autopsy at Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G. Ngoerah Hospital confirmed Radmanovic died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, causing massive internal bleeding. The defendants now face multiple charges, including premeditated murder under Article 340 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code and illegal possession of firearms under Law No. 12/1951. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.

The trial will continue next week, as prosecutors prepare to summon digital forensic experts to trace online communications with the suspected Australian mastermind believed to have coordinated the operation from overseas.