Pardoned thief escapes from jail

Pardoned thief escapes from jail

PADANG, West Sumatra (JP): A convicted thief, who was
scheduled to be released on Aug. 17, seems to have gotten
impatient and escaped from the Payakumbuh prison last week.

The prisoner, Samsuri, had made a favorable enough impression
on prison officials with his good conduct only to break out of
his cell last Tuesday.

He had been chosen for a pardon in honor of the 50th
anniversary of Indonesia's independence on Aug. 17.

"We had decided to release him for his favorable behavior. But
obviously he has now blown his chances," chief of the West
Sumatra justice office Atjeng Zakaria told Antara Saturday.

According to Zakaria, although officials have not formally
announced the names of prisoners to receive remissions, Samsuri
knew he was one of the recipients after checking with the
Payakumbuh prison warden.

The prison has been rocked by the escapes of five other
convicts over the past several months and none have been
recaptured. (03)