Authorities raided a prison outside Jakarta where inmates have allegedly been paying to live in luxury, emptying several “villas” of furniture, bottles of alcohol and at least one big-screen TV.
Last week, the Indonesian ombudsman’s office said an inspection had uncovered a cluster of indulgently furnished apartments inhabited by inmates on the grounds of the Cibinong prison in Bogor, south of the capital.
The inmates allegedly paid rent for the accommodation complete with couches, large beds, TVs, fridges – even dining tables.
Photos released by the ombudsman’s office after an unannounced visit yesterday showed bottles of beer, whisky and other alcohol in a fridge door.
An unlocked access gate linked the yard around the villas to a bamboo forest, making it possible for the prisoners to enter and exit at will.
There was a “luxury car parking area” on the grounds, according to ombudsman official Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan, as well as a swimming pool and a gym.
A golf simulator was being built for the residents.
The ministry’s inspector-general Rudi Setiawan told reporters that 52 inmates had been questioned so far.
The head of the prison and four other senior officials have been suspended.
The authorities have not divulged which inmates had inhabited the luxury accommodation, nor said what will happen to them now. — AFP
