Bali police are investigating a dispute involving Indonesian influencer Gebby Vesta, a foreign national and a taxi driver following allegations of intimidation and extortion in North Kuta, Badung Regency.
The incident occurred in front of a Circle K convenience store on Jalan Semat, Tibubeneng Village, North Kuta District, at approximately 3:30 a.m. WITA on Sunday, 31 May 2026. The case is currently being handled by the North Kuta Police.
North Kuta Police Chief Commissioner I Ketut Sukadana said the dispute began after taxi driver INBU, 36, picked up Gebby Vesta and her foreign companion, identified as AW, from the Miss Fish entertainment venue and agreed to transport them to a villa in Pererenan Village, Mengwi District, for a fare of Rp300,000.
“Initially, they agreed on a fare of Rp300,000 from Miss Fish to Pererenan. But midway, the foreign passenger claimed he didn’t have any cash and asked to be taken to the nearest ATM,” Sukadana said on Tuesday, 2 June, as quoted from DetikBali.
ATM Stop Triggered Misunderstanding
According to police, tensions began to rise when the driver accompanied AW into an ATM booth in the Berawa Kitchen area to verify that he was withdrawing money to pay the fare.
Shortly afterwards, AW reportedly realised he may have left his ATM card behind and asked the driver to return to the previous location.
“The driver followed him into the ATM booth, making the female passenger (Gebby) feel uncomfortable and suspicious of his actions. The situation became even more tense when they had to turn back because the man thought he had left his card behind,” Sukadana explained.
As the vehicle repeatedly travelled along the same route due to the detour, the driver requested an additional payment from the passengers.
However, Gebby reportedly interpreted the request as an attempt to extort money, while AW did not initially object to paying an extra charge.
“Because the vehicle kept circling the same route, the driver demanded an additional fee from his passenger. This sparked a misunderstanding because the woman felt the driver had gone too far and was trying to extort them,” Sukadana said.
Police Continue Investigation
The disagreement escalated when the group stopped at a Circle K outlet on Jalan Semat so that AW could purchase a soft drink. Police said the driver again raised the issue of the additional fare, resulting in a verbal argument that was later circulated widely on social media.
“He explained that he wanted to reaffirm the previously agreed-upon surcharge. They responded by arguing, believing there was an element of coercion involved,” Sukadana said.
The situation was eventually resolved after AW paid the original agreed fare of Rp300,000. Gebby and AW then chose to continue their journey to the villa using another transport service.
“The foreigner told the driver to leave after paying only Rp300,000. We haven’t seen any strong indications of extortion, but a thorough investigation is underway,” Sukadana said.
