DENPASAR, Bali — In a courtroom decision that underscored the stringent demands of Indonesian evidentiary law, the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday acquitted a German national of all charges related to the alleged trafficking of hundreds of ecstasy pills, citing a lack of direct, convincing proof.
Daniel Domalski, who also went by the alias Zbysek Ciompa, listened as the presiding judge, Ida Bagus Bamadhera Patiputra, read the verdict, his initial tension dissolving into visible relief. The three-judge panel declared the prosecution had failed to prove Mr. Domalski’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” in a conspiracy to illegally distribute narcotics.
The case, which had drawn attention for its international dimension, centered on the seizure of 594 ecstasy pills in late April. The pills were intercepted by authorities in South Denpasar, leading to the arrest of a Dutch national, Lima Tome Rodrigues Pedro. Mr. Domalski was detained two days later at a bar in Sanur, with police seizing a mobile phone and a Czech Republic passport under his alleged alias.
Prosecutors from the Bali High Prosecutor’s Office had charged Mr. Domalski under Indonesia’s strict Narcotics Law, alleging his involvement in arranging the shipment’s delivery address and communications. The charges carried the potential for a severe prison sentence.
However, in a detailed ruling, the judges found the case against him fatally flawed. The evidence, they concluded, relied almost entirely on police testimony without stronger corroborating proof. Crucially, no narcotics were found in Mr. Domalski’s direct possession or linked to him forensically.
“There was no narcotics evidence directly related to the defendant Daniel Domalski,” stated Judge Patiputra, reading from the verdict, as reported by Radar Bali. “There is also no evidence showing the defendant placed an order, sent, imported, or distributed narcotics.”
A pivotal point in the trial was the recantation of a co-defendant’s statement. Mr. Pedro, the Dutch national who was arrested with the drugs, withdrew his earlier police testimony (Berita Acara Pemeriksaan), stating in open court that Mr. Domalski was not involved in the distribution network as previously alleged.
The court ordered Mr. Domalski’s immediate release from detention. His legal team stated he accepted the verdict “with gratitude.” The prosecution, however, reserved the right to appeal, stating they needed time to study the full written ruling—a common step in the Indonesian legal process.
Throughout the proceedings, Mr. Domalski’s choice of attire—a traditional Islamic kopiah or skullcap—was noted by local observers, though its relevance to the legal arguments was not part of the official court record.
The acquittal is a notable outcome in Bali’s judicial landscape, where drug charges, particularly those involving large quantities, typically result in conviction and lengthy sentences. Legal analysts suggest the ruling highlights the judiciary’s procedural rigor in demanding concrete evidence, even in high-stakes narcotics cases.
For the island’s substantial expatriate and tourist community, the case serves as a stark reminder of the severe legal risks associated with narcotics in Indonesia, while also illustrating the formal legal protections available to defendants within the system.
This report was developed from local sources and official court proceedings. Hey Bali News provides factual, contextual reporting on events shaping life in Bali for its global audience.
