Cameron Hughes: Ex-wife’s plea to alleged victims ripped off by Perth businessman who died in Bali detention

A Perth businessman who died in a Bali immigration detention centre after allegedly taking tens of thousands of dollars from customers was reported to authorities by his ex-wife — who is now pleading with his victims to forgive him.

Cameron Hughes was found unresponsive inside a bathroom at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office on July 10 while awaiting deportation to Australia over visa breaches.

Balinese police this week declared the 39-year-old’s death a suicide after an autopsy, saying CCTV and forensic evidence supported their findings.

The revelation comes just days after The West Australian revealed that Hughes left behind a trail of devastated customers, with more than a dozen claiming they were collectively owed hundreds of thousands of dollars after paying his Bali-based restoration business, Holden Resto Bali, for classic cars that were never finished.

One Perth customer Mark Pulford says that he lost $76,000 after trusting Hughes to restore his Holden Torana.

Others told the ABC that they paid anywhere from a few thousand dollars to almost $100,000, with some vehicles sitting untouched for years.

According to Indonesian authorities, Mr Hughes was detained after an investigation into alleged visa breaches, with police confirming that his former wife Indah alerted immigration officials after their marriage ended in 2024. They share an eight-year-old son.

In a Facebook post reportedly published after Hughes’ death, Indah appealed directly to the customers left chasing money and cars.

“I humbly ask for your forgiveness for any mistakes, hurt or wrongs he may have caused during his lifetime,” she wrote.

“I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive him.”

A Facebook page dedicated to Holden Resto Bali now has more than 1200 followers, with customers sharing what they describe as “horror stories” about delayed projects, missing vehicles and unfinished restorations.

Two days before his death, Mr Hughes apologised to customers in a message obtained by the ABC.

“I also need to apologise ... to everyone for my stupid behaviour in recent times,” he wrote.

He blamed stress, confusion and alcohol for his actions, while a draft statement provided by his family denied that he had intentionally scammed customers and claimed health problems and former staff had contributed to the collapse of his business.

Mr Hughes’ family has questioned the circumstances surrounding his death, saying that they received conflicting information from Indonesian authorities, despite police ruling the death a suicide.