Brisbane Broncos star David Fifita remains behind bars in Indonesia despite reports he had reached a “peace agreement” with the security guard he allegedly assaulted in Bali.
Fifita has been held inside a police station for more than 24 hours after he allegedly hit Dani Irawan in the early hours of Saturday morning at La Favela nightclub.
According to a report in the Courier Mail, the 19-year-old will stay in custody until the local police chief makes a final call on the matter.
The bouncer who accused Fifita of hitting him has reportedly forgiven the 19-year-old and accepted his apology.
Brisbane Broncos welfare officer Adam Walsh has flown to Bail and is continuing to work with local representatives to help resolve the issue.
“David is respectful of Indonesian law and is co-operating with local authorities,” the Broncos said in a statement issued on Sunday night.
“The Broncos are also working with the NRL integrity unit on the issue.
“The club will provide more updates as information becomes available.”
Fifita’s lawyer says the teenage forward “doesn’t remember” hitting the security guard and is confident the issue can be quickly resolved.
Irawan indicated he would be willing to forgive Fifita.
“He said, ‘sorry, sorry’,” Irawan told 7news.com.au, adding that he believed Fifita was sincere.
But first he wants to speak with Fifita again to ensure he is truly remorseful. It’s understood there are plans for Irawan to meet with Fifita’s lawyers on Monday.
Irawan said he wasn’t seeking compensation and was prepared to sign a so-called “peace agreement”, which shaped as Fifita’s best hope of being released.
A police report obtained by the Seven Network said Fifita was not initially able to be interrogated because he was under the influence of alcohol.
The incident took place at the same nightspot where Nelson Asofa-Solomona was involved in a wild brawl a month ago, which resulted in a three-game ban and a suspended $15,000 fine, and comes a fortnight after Fifita captained a Junior Kangaroos team to a win over France in Wollongong.
Fifita is set to enter the final year of his NRL contract with Brisbane and is widely considered the hottest free agent available for the 2021 season.
He has been linked with a number of NRL clubs, including South Sydney.