A Belarusian national is being questioned by the Singaraja Class II TPI Immigration Office following allegations that he removed Indonesian citizens from a WhatsApp community group in Bali, prompting calls for an investigation into his activities on the island.
The allegations gained public attention after Italian content creator Christian Giacobbe shared the incident on his Instagram account, @chrisgiacobbecomedy.
In his post, Giacobbe alleged that a foreign national identified as Sergey Melnikov had removed all members using Indonesian phone numbers with the +62 country code from the WhatsApp group “Garage Sales in Amed”.
The claims quickly circulated on social media, drawing criticism and prompting public figures to call for further scrutiny of the foreign national’s conduct.
Ni Luh Djelantik Calls for Investigation
The incident attracted the attention of Ni Luh Djelantik, a member of Indonesia’s Regional Representative Council (DPD) representing Bali.
Through her personal Instagram account, Ni Luh urged the Directorate General of Immigration and Bali Immigration to investigate both the alleged discriminatory conduct and the legality of the foreign national’s commercial activities.
“If it’s clean, why bother? Even though the WhatsApp group is private property, the reasons and actions taken by a foreigner named Sergey to remove an Indonesian group member need to be investigated,” she wrote on Friday, 31 July 2026.
She also questioned whether the individual’s garage sale activities complied with Indonesian regulations.
“Besides, how can a foreigner sell and hold a garage sale? How do they get a permit? Who pays the taxes?” she wrote.
According to Ni Luh, the issue extends beyond the management of a private messaging group and concerns the wider impact of discriminatory behaviour on local communities.
“We don’t envy or envy foreigners. We just want Bali to be safe and peaceful, and not cause mental health problems for its people due to the foreigner’s discriminatory behaviour towards local residents,” she said.
Immigration Confirms Belarusian National Is Being Questioned
Head of the Singaraja Class II Immigration Office, Anak Agung Gde Kusuma Putra, confirmed that immigration officers had summoned the foreign national mentioned in the social media posts for questioning.
He said the individual has been living in the tourist area of Amed, Karangasem Regency, while officers continue gathering information related to the allegations.
“We are currently investigating the news, and the person concerned is currently being questioned at the Singaraja Immigration Office,” Kusuma Putra said.
He also clarified reports circulating online regarding the individual’s nationality.
“The person in question is a Belarusian citizen. On immigration documents, his name is Siarhei Melnikau,” he said.
According to Kusuma Putra, the investigation remains at an early stage and is focused on verifying the information circulating on social media, including whether any immigration regulations have been breached.
