Custody extended for former Calgary teacher jailed in Indonesia

Neil Bantleman is being held by police in Indonesia.

A former teacher at Webber Academy has been in a Jakarta prison for the past two months and his brother says authorities have notified him that his incarceration will be extended.

Neil Bantleman, 45, was arrested during an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of three students at the Jakarta International School, where he has been a teacher for the past six years.

Bantleman has been in police custody in the Indonesian capital for the last 60 days and will now face at least another 30 days in jail, his brother said Thursday.

He “was handed his papers” that informed him of the extension on the same day he had a meeting with Canada’s ambassador to Indonesia, according to his brother Guy.

Thursday marked Bantleman’s 60th day in jail, the longest he could be held without charge, according to Indonesian law.

Bantleman taught at Webber Academy in Calgary for a number of years and officials at the school say he was a well-loved, soft spoken and hardworking teacher who had the respect of fellow staff members.

Bantleman was arrested along with Ferdi Tjiong, a teacher assistant at the school, and says both are innocent and have been “wrongfully accused” of crimes “in which we took no part.”

Friends and family have launched a Facebook campaign to free Neil Bantleman and Ferdi Tjiong, click HERE for more information.

(With files from CTV Toronto's Ashley Rowe and ctvnews.ca)