Eddy Tansil escapes from prison

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)