One dead, 40 hurt, 8 escape in East Timor jail riot

One dead, 40 hurt, 8 escape in East Timor jail riot

JAKARTA (JP): One inmate was killed, 40 others injured and eight escaped during a riot in the Dili Correctional Facility yesterday morning, Antara reported.

Five prison guards were also injured.

The news agency quoted the chief of the East Timor Office of the Ministry of Justice, Benny J. Matthaus, as saying that the riot appeared to have been well organized, with the intention of making an escape.

Benny identified the dead inmate as Armindo da Silva Martins.

He said Armindo was spotted carrying fuel with the apparent intention of setting fire to the correctional facility during the riot.

"An officer who spotted him fired in the air to stop him but instead of heeding the warning, the inmate attacked the officer," Benny said. "In self defense, the officer aimed his gun on the inmate's leg hoping to paralyze him. But because of the difficult situation, the bullet hit his body instead and killed him."

"I repeat that the attempt to paralyze the target was carried out according to procedure. There was no intention to kill him," Benny said.

The riot started when an inmate, identified as Alex da Costa, forced his way to the detention center shortly after the main block was opened at 7 a.m., he said.

Prison guards prevented him from going in, and took him to the correctional facility to pacify him.

Instead he began screaming and this provoked anger among about 100 other inmates.

"They pelted the office with stones and whatever they could get their hands on. There were only nine guards against the mob," Benny said, adding that the attack caused extensive damage.

To stop the mob, the guards fired warning shots and ordered the inmates to return to their cell block. Forty-five heeded the warning, but 55 other inmates continued the rampage.

The guards then called for assistance from a Police Mobile Brigade unit which was patrolling in the area. "But even they were outnumbered because there were only 16 officers."

During the riot, 10 inmates fled through one of the tower posts, Benny said. "They kicked their way into the post and beat the guards stationed at the tower."

By the early evening, two of the escaped inmates had been arrested. The other eight were still at large, according to Antara.

Meanwhile, order in the Dili Correctional Facility was restored after police sent reinforcements.

The 40 inmates who were injured were still being treated at the correctional facility's clinic.

Antara also reported that the town was relatively calm in spite of the riot in the Dili Correctional Facility. (emb)