'Filmsy' cell blamed in escape of killer mariness
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Navy Military Police chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko acknowledged on Monday that the recent jailbreak by two marines convicted for murder was partly caused by the poor physical condition of their cell including the absence of a security system.
He said that the cell was not appropriate for accommodating criminals.
"I have asked several times that the convicted murderers be transferred to military detention either in Cimanggis (in West Java) or Surabaya (in East Java), because my cell is not suitable for them. The security system is not so tight as it is used to hold soldiers temporarily for disciplinary reasons," Soenarko told a press conference.
Soenarko further blamed the court for not immediately responding to his plea for the removal of the two marines.
"Based on procedures, we are no longer responsible for handling the criminals once the case has been submitted to military prosecutors. My cell is not suitable for criminals who have been sentenced to death. We apologize for the (jailbreak) incident," said Soenarko, who was accompanied by Navy spokesman Commodore Abdul Malik Yusuf.
At least 12 officers of the Navy Military Police unit are being intensively questioned to determine whether "there were insiders involved in facilitating the escape", said Soenarko
Syam A. Sanusi and Suud Rusli, who were convicted by a military tribunal for the murder of PT Arena Sarana Bakti (Asaba) president director Boedyharto Angsono and his Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) bodyguard, Second Sgt. Edi Siyep, in July 2003, escaped from the Navy detention center last week after cutting through the iron bars of their cell using a saw.
The military court handed down the death sentence for the two and discharged them from their unit in February this year. Two other marine soldiers, Second Corp. Fidel Husni and First Pvt. Santoso Subianto, were found innocent.
How the convicts obtained the saw is unknown, though Soenarko suspects the involvement of "insiders". He, however, did not eliminate the possibility that "visitors provided them with the saw".
"But I don't think another military unit is involved," he said, referring to allegations that Kopassus might be involved in the incident.
Soenarko, who heads the manhunt which involves the Navy's intelligence and military police personnel, said the search for the two convicted marines would continue. He, however, declined to name the location of a possible hideout.