Indonesia suspends five prison officials over alleged inmate residences
An Ombudsman inspection found more than 10 apartment-style residences at Cibinong prison. Authorities are investigating whether staff housing was converted for unauthorised inmate use.
Indonesia has suspended five officials at Cibinong prison, including its chief, after an inspection found apartment-style residences allegedly used by inmates. Rudi Setiawan, inspector general at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, announced the suspensions on Tuesday.
The Ombudsman, Indonesia’s public-service watchdog, found more than 10 residences during a surprise inspection on 23 September. The units were separate from the prison’s regular cellblocks.
Investigators reported air-conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, sofas and dining areas in the residences, as well as a gym and a golf simulator under construction. They said they encountered inmates in the compound, but authorities have not disclosed their identities.
The buildings were intended as official housing for prison personnel. Investigators are examining whether they were converted into unauthorised accommodation for inmates. Dozens of inmates and prison employees have been questioned.
The suspensions do not establish who occupied the residences or how they gained access. The inquiry is unfolding amid longstanding allegations of overcrowding, corruption and preferential treatment for wealthy or well-connected inmates in Indonesia’s prisons.
