Oetojo scolds lax jail authorities<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman has ordered
\nall special treatment accorded to businessman Edy Tansil by
\nofficials at the Cipinang Correctional Institution stopped
\nimmediately.<\/p>\n
Edy is the businessman convicted of siphoning off Rp 1.3
\ntrillion (US$620 million) in loans from state-owned Bapindo bank
\nin 1994.<\/p>\n
Oetoyo discovered the special treatment while conducting an
\nimpromptu inspection of the penitentiary recently, Antara
\nreported.<\/p>\n
\"Edy should experience the same treatment as the other
\ninmates. He should not have been given special privileges. It is
\ntrue that inmates should be treated humanely, but that does not
\nmean that certain prisoners should be allowed to enjoy special
\ntreatment,\" the minister said at his office yesterday.<\/p>\n
Inmates at the penitentiary said that Oetoyo found a color TV
\nset and a fan that doubles as an air-conditioning unit in the
\ncell of the former Golden Key Group boss, who is presently
\nserving a 20-year prison term.<\/p>\n
Oetoyo's impromptu visit to the penitentiary at midnight
\ncaught the institution's officials, including its director,
\nMintoardjo, off guard. The minister was accompanied only by his
\ndriver.<\/p>\n
Oetojo immediately asked Mintoardjo to remove the TV set and
\nthe fan from Edy's cell.<\/p>\n
\"I have instructed the penitentiary director to give equal
\ntreatment to all inmates, regardless of their social status. All
\ninmates have the same rights and duties at penitentiaries, so
\nthere should be no discrimination,\" Oetoyo said.<\/p>\n
Special treatment<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the practice of giving special treatment
\nto certain inmates could give rise to jealousy among the other
\ninmates. \"This could impair the reputation of the officials in
\ncharge at the penitentiary. Officials at the justice ministry
\ncould also be affected.\"<\/p>\n
Other inmates at the penitentiary told The Jakarta Post
\nrecently that Edy has converted a small storehouse next to the
\nclinic into a comfortable pavilion. They said they once saw a TV
\nset and a video player in Eddy's room, which is separated from
\nthe other inmates' cells.<\/p>\n
The minister also criticized the lax control at a penitentiary
\nin Bali, in which an inmate was found using a cellular phone
\nallegedly smuggled into his cell by his wife. \"Administrative
\nsanctions should be imposed on the officials held responsible for
\nthis.\"<\/p>\n
When asked about the growing number of murders committed by
\nyouths, the minister expressed deep concern at the phenomenon.
\n\"Their actions are no longer regarded as juvenile delinquency,
\nbut have been categorized as crimes. I'm very concerned about
\nthis.\"<\/p>\n
Big cities in Indonesia, especially Jakarta, are prone to
\nstudent brawls. In the last five days, three teenagers have been
\nkilled in brawls in the capital.<\/p>\n
Oetojo said this phenomenon should be viewed from various
\nperspectives, because it involves various factors, including
\neducation, economy, the ever-growing population, the limited
\nnumber of public transit vehicles and the modernization now
\nsweeping through big cities like Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The minister said that the increasing number of people living
\nin the city has turned many Jakartans into \"aggressive people\".<\/p>\n
Oetoyo cited the Pavlovian theory about white mice which are
\nput into a cage.\" They lived peacefully and respected each other
\nwhen their number was still small. But when the number kept
\ngrowing, with the room and food supply remaining limited, they
\nbecame aggressive, hitting and clawing at each other every day.\"
\n(bas)<\/p>",
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