Indonesia’s Immigration Office Admits ‘Improper’ Treatment of Hollywood Actor

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, March 07, 2012   

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Indonesia’s immigration office denied reports that one of its officers extorted Hollywood actor Taylor Kitsch during his recent visit to the country, but admitted that the officer’s treatment of the rising star was “improper.”

Taylor Kitsch showed a scene from
 "John Carter," pictured, to an Indonesian
 immigration officer to prove he was
an actor. (AP Photo/Disney)       

The immigration office was under fire after Kitsch told a US talk show about his unpleasant encounter with an airport customs officer, describing how he had difficulties when he was trying to enter the country and how the officer asked for his iPhone as a bribe.

Indonesia’s immigration office spokesman Maryoto Sumadi said on Tuesday that Kitsch entered the country through Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport on Feb. 1, and that a special team from Jakarta had been dispatched to Bali to investigate the case.

On Wednesday, Bali's immigration office announced the team’s findings.

“The officer in question denied the claim of extortion, saying the actor still had the iPhone,” the head of Bali’s immigration office, Ida Bagus Komang Adnyana, said in Denpasar.

He identified the officer only as R.E., 29.

Kitsch’s passport pages were full, leaving no space for another stamp. So, R.E. took Kitsch to a room where the actor showed his visa and said that he was in Indonesia to shoot his latest movie, Oliver Stone’s “Savages,” in East Nusa Tenggara.

R.E. did not believe he was an actor, so Kitsch showed the trailer of “John Carter,” in which he starred, on his iPhone.

“It was then R.E. commented that the actor had a nice i-Phone. He didn’t go further by asking for the phone, let alone extort [Kitsch],” Ida said.

Ida admitted, however, that R.E.’s treatment of the actor was improper.

“The dialogue shouldn’t have happened. It is not allowed under the code of ethics, especially considering the impact,” he said.

Ida added R.E. was on leave for investigative purposes. R.E. will probably receive a sanction within the next few days, although it has yet to be decided what the sanction will be.

Ida said Kitsch arrived in Bali on board a Singapore Airlines flight, and was in Indonesia from Feb. 1 to 11.

Kitsch, 30, is best known for his portrayal of American football star Tim Riggins in the television series “Friday Night Lights.”

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