Two more suspects named in Tansil escape case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government yesterday named two more suspects
\nin their investigation into the escape of corrupt businessman
\nEddy Tansil from prison, bringing the total number of people
\nunder police arrest to 12.<\/p>\n
\"Police have arrested 12 officials of the Cipinang
\ncorrectional institution for allegedly assisting in Tansil's
\nescape,\" Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman said at a press
\nconference yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said police had questioned 25 people in their investigation
\nbut were later forced to release 13 of them for lack of evidence.<\/p>\n
He refused to give the names of the prison officials, saying
\nonly that they have been temporarily removed from their posts. He
\nconfirmed that Mintardjo, the former head of the penitentiary
\nwhom he had dismissed immediately after reports of the escape
\nbroke out, was not among the 12 officials arrested.<\/p>\n
\"There is not enough evidence that he was involved in the
\nescape,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police earlier named Dulhadi, alias Dudung, the man in charge
\nof prison warders on the night of Tansil's escape, and Suwarno,
\nanother warder, as suspects.<\/p>\n
Tansil, the owner of the Golden Key business group, was
\nserving a 20-year jail term for corruption when he literally
\nwalked out of the Cipinang correctional institution in the
\nevening of May 4.<\/p>\n
The 42-year old businessman was convicted in 1994 of swindling
\nBank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo), a government-owned bank,
\nout of Rp 1.3 trillion (US$620 million).<\/p>\n
Oetojo seemed to give credence to earlier speculation that
\nTansil has fled the country, saying that he had received reports
\nthat Tansil was spotted on May 6 in a neighboring country some
\nthree to four hours flight away from Jakarta. He did not specify
\nwhich neighboring country this might be.<\/p>\n
Possibility<\/p>\n
The authorities were not ruling out the possibility that
\nTansil was still in Indonesia however, he said.<\/p>\n
Oetojo dismissed speculation about the involvement of several
\nhigh-ranking government officials in the escape.<\/p>\n
There are persistent rumors that some officials persuaded the
\nprison officials to afford Tansil special treatment, a separate
\ncell and the option to leave the prison whenever he felt like it.<\/p>\n
\"I have not received any reports of any high-ranking
\nofficials' involvement yet. But I will look into it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Oetojo said he reported the progress of the investigation into
\nTansil's escape to President Soeharto yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto ordered me to step up efforts to locate
\nTansil, and to provide better welfare for the prison officials,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The government is planning to increase the allowance of prison
\nofficials on night-duty from Rp 1,000 to Rp 2,500 ($1). (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-more-suspects-named-in-tansil-escape-case-1447893297",
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