Detainees escape dazed police

Detainees escape dazed police

BOGOR (JP): Bogor Police chief Sr. Comr. Taufik Ridha said
here on Tuesday that detainees going to and from court hearings
must be guarded by armed officers to make sure they did not
escape in transit.

Dazed by the escape of Bogor Prosecutor's Office detainees
en route to Paledang Penitentiary after a court hearing on
Friday, Taufik said that a thorough probe must be conducted to
learn if the escape was a deliberate scenario.

"The prosecutor's office should have asked police to guard the
detainees. I will find out if the prosecutor's office had asked
police escorting the detainees (to guard them)," Taufik said.

"Anyhow, I will instruct my subordinates to find the
escapees."

The four detainees, identified as Asep Supriatna, 29, Manta,
25, Andi Heriandi, 26 and Asep Saepuloh, 18, escaped when the
officers were about to drop them at Paledang Penitentiary at
about 4 p.m. on Friday.

Reportedly using a crowbar, they managed to force open the
paddy wagon's door and escaped from the van.

Two of them were charged with vehicle theft and two others
were narcotics-related defendants.

Member of Commission A at the Mayoralty Legislative Council,
Rafii Mukti, blamed the officers for the escape of the detainees,
saying that it was very sloppy work.

"How come a crowbar was in the paddy wagon or any other kind
of equipment which could be used to force open the van's door?"
asked Rafii, who is with the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan) faction. (21/sur)