An outspoken and controversial critic of President Joko Widodo was caught in an embarrassing lie this week, after claiming she had been assaulted - when her facial injuries were in fact the result of post-cosmetic surgery bruising.

Former actress-turned-political activist Ratna Sarumpaet, who is also part of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto's campaign team, confessed to the bizarre fib on Wednesday, but only after the police exposed her lie just hours earlier.