'Special package' for corrupt offenders at Indonesian prison

JAKARTA: The Sukamiskin Prison in Bandung that houses graft offenders apparently has a "special package" for these prisoners.

These offenders who are serving their sentences there can get a special package - a luxury prison cell and a package to freely enter and leave the prison with a payment of between 200mil rupiah (RM56,000) and 500mil rupiah (RM140,000).

Through the "payment", the convicts in the prison at Jalan AH Nasution Kota Bandung will hold their own key to the prison cell, enabling them to freely come and go as they please.

Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Laode Muhammad Syarif said KPK has arrested four suspects, including a prison staff and two prisoners currently serving their sentences on Saturday (July 21).

Sukamiskin Prison head, Wahid Husen, who took over the post only four months ago, was arrested on Saturday night at his home in Bandung and KPK also found cash amounting to hundreds of millions of rupiah believed to be linked with the package, said Laode Muhammad.

An investigation and raid conducted by the KPK team in the prison revealed that several prison cells had been renovated such as hotel rooms equipped with air conditioning, television and refrigerator for prisoners who paid for the package.

The media in Indonesia reported that among the prisoners arrested were the husband of the 1990s era popular Indonesian singer, Inneke Koesherawati.

Her husband, Fahmi Darmawansyah, an entrepreneur was sentenced to an imprisonment of two years and eight months for bribery in May last year.

KPK also questioned Inneke concerning the arrest of her husband.

The Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights reportedly also conducted investigations on the exposure and arrests carried out by the KPK. -Bernama