Eddy Tansil escapes from prison

JAKARTA (JP): A bearded Eddy Tansil walked out of the Cipinang penitentiary with a new hairdo on Saturday night, but his escape was brought to the attention of Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman just yesterday.

A massive manhunt was launched as soon as the government learned that businessman Tansil, who was serving a 20-year jail sentence for bank fraud, had fled the prison.

Officials at all airports and other exit points have been told to be on the look out for 42-year-old Tansil, the owner of the Golden Key Group who was convicted in 1994 of embezzling Rp 1.3 trillion ($620 million) from the state-owned Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo).

A visibly angry Oetojo told a media conference in his office yesterday that he has suspended Cipinang chief warden Mintardjo on two grounds: One for carelessness in letting Tansil go, and another for failing to promptly report the escape.

Oetojo first heard of the news from reporters when they asked for his comments while attending a mini-cabinet meeting at the office of Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman.

Oetojo said Mintardjo could also face prosecution if an investigation proves that he had a hand in Tansil's escape.

Some 28 prison officials, including a picket chief, are now under investigation. They are suspected of having taken part in Tansil's escape, he added.

But Oetojo held Mintardjo personally responsible for failing to detect the escape, which he said was planned.

He pointed to Tansil's changed appearance, complete with new hairstyle and beard, as signs which should have alerted prison officials of a possible escape plan in the making. He said the prison officials did not even bother to photograph Tansil with his new look for official records, which is standard procedure.

The minister said that a preliminary investigation found that Tansil, escorted by the picket chief, eased past the penitentiary gates on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. into an awaiting minibus. He was driven to Kober cemetery in the Kebon Nanas subdistrict of East Jakarta, at which point he took a taxi to an unknown destination.

A prison official identified only as DS admitted last night to having taken Tansil by car to Kober cemetery in Jatinegara, East Jakarta.

Oetojo said that even if there was a compelling reason to allow Tansil to leave the prison, he should have been accompanied by two police officers.

Oetojo also discovered an attempt by penitentiary officials to cover up the escape.

He said prison administrators on Monday issued a permit for Tansil to leave the prison for a medical consultation with his heart doctor at the Harapan Kita hospital in West Jakarta. The administrators also filed a report on Monday that Tansil had left the prison on Monday morning.

Oetojo was particularly outraged at the fact that the incident occurred barely a month after he personally ordered the Cipinang penitentiary's administrators to step up security.

Ironically, the order was made after Oetojo, during an unannounced inspection at Cipinang, learned that Tansil was receiving special treatment from prison officials. Among the facilities found in his cell were a color television set, a fan and a refrigerator.

Meanwhile, F.X. Suwadi, one of Tansil's lawyers who represented the businessman during his trial in 1994, said he regretted his client's decision to flee.

"I don't know of Tansil's whereabouts," he told reporters at his office. He added that the escape would only make Tansil's legal predicament more difficult.

Suwadi said he last met with Tansil two weeks ago, at which time the client stated his intention to apply for presidential clemency.

Meanwhile, the National Police said they have already blocked all airports and seaports, and deployed extra officers there to prevent Tansil from leaving the country.

"As soon as we heard of the news, we ordered all our personnel to be on guard at all exit points and to coordinate with immigration officers to prevent the fugitive from leaving Indonesia," chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Nurfaizi told The Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian National Central Bureau of Interpol has also contacted its counterparts in a number countries to alert them to the possibility of Tansil seeking refuge there, Nurfaizi said without stating which countries have been contacted.

"Any public information is very much welcome," Nurfaizi added. (imn/bsr/14)