The Denpasar District Court has sentenced Canadian national Denis Vallee, 44, to one year and six months in prison after finding him guilty of fraud in a luxury villa lease case. Presiding judge Gede Putra Astawa delivered the verdict during a hearing on Thursday, September 26, 2025.
The court concluded that Vallee had been proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing fraud as regulated under Article 378 of the Indonesian Criminal Code. The conviction followed a single indictment presented by public prosecutor Ryan Mahardika.
“To prosecute, sentence the defendant to 1 year and 6 months in prison. Stipulating the period of arrest and detention that the defendant has undergone is deducted entirely from the sentence imposed,” said the panel of judges.
Case Background
Vallee, identified as an entrepreneur from Canada, was brought to trial in connection with a villa rental agreement in Kerobokan, North Kuta. According to court proceedings, he secured a one-year lease for Villa Beelia Luxe, valued at more than IDR 5 billion, by presenting transfer receipts to the property owner, Nurhariani. The receipts, submitted as evidence of payment through Bank BCA and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), were later deemed invalid.
Despite providing two receipts indicating full payment, the funds were never actually received by the villa owner, leading to the legal complaint and subsequent trial.
Judicial Considerations
In outlining the ruling, the panel of judges weighed both aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The aggravating factor was the material loss suffered by the victim, while the mitigating factors included Vallee’s cooperative demeanor during trial proceedings and the fact that he had no prior criminal record.
The sentence handed down was six months lighter than the two-year prison term requested by the prosecution.
Additional Orders from the Court
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the confiscation of certain items presented as evidence. A Desert Titanium iPhone 16 Pro with 128 GB capacity was ordered to be seized by the state. Other documents, including the original villa lease agreement, transfer records, and a BCA account statement under the name of Nurhariani, were retained as part of the case file.
With the verdict now issued, Vallee has been formally convicted and sentenced in Indonesia. Both the prosecution and the defense retain the right to appeal the ruling in accordance with Indonesian legal procedure.
