JAKARTA — Five Indonesian prison officials have been suspended after investigators found an apartment-style compound with air conditioners, big-screen televisions and expensive cars allegedly used by inmates at a prison near the capital, the Associated Press reported via The Guardian.
Ombudsman member Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan said a surprise inspection on Sept. 23 at Cibinong prison in Bogor found more than 10 residential units separate from regular cells, with sofas, dining areas and a gym and golf simulator under construction. “We found strong indications that certain prisoners had access to special facilities unavailable to ordinary prisoners,” she said.
Rudi Setiawan, inspector general of the ministry of immigration and corrections, said dozens of prisoners and employees had been questioned and five structural officials, including the prison chief, were suspended. The four-hectare facility houses corruption convicts and other high-profile inmates; identities of those allegedly in the luxury compound have not been officially disclosed. Lawmakers and anti-corruption groups urged authorities to determine whether officials took payments for the privileges.
Sources: Associated Press via The Guardian, The New York Times
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