Prison officials suspects in escape

Prison officials suspects in escape

JAKARTA (JP): Police declared on Saturday three officials of
Cipinang Penitentiary as suspects over the escape of two inmates,
including a suspect in the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) bombing
last September, from the East Jakarta prison.

City police chief for general crimes Tito Karnavian said
police viewed the negligence of the officials, identified as Dori
Ahmad, 40, Mardani, 45, and Wilhelmus Benyamin, 41, led to the
escape of the inmates.

"Based on our preliminary investigation, the officials may not
have intentionally released the inmates," Tito told reporters.

He said the officials would be charged with violating
Paragraph 2 of Article 426 of the Criminal Code which stipulates
that a state employee, who by his negligence leads to the escape
of an inmate or inmates, could face a maximum penalty of two
months in jail or a fine of Rp 4,500 (47 US cents).

During the questioning, Mardani admitted that he was asleep in
the prison tower when the inmates, identified as Ibrahim Abdul
Wahab and Ibrahim Haji (not Ibrahim Abdul Manap and Ibrahim Ali
as reported earlier), escaped early Friday morning.

Wilhelmus and Dori who were guarding the prison's Block F did
not check on the two inmates after allowing them out of their
cell to perform their predawn prayer, he said.

The escaped inmates shared the cell with seven other inmates.

Tito said the escape of the prisoners involved "outsiders", as
the rope used by the men for the escape was thrown from outside
the prison wall.

Separately, city police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said
the police had deployed three teams to pursue the escaped
inmates.

"We have notified all airports and seaports which might be
used by the inmates to get out of Java island. However, we
suspect they are still in Java," Mulyono told reporters on
Saturday.

He said the police had also checked the escaped inmates'
houses.

Ibrahim Abdul Wahab, along with five accomplices, was arrested
for his alleged involvement in the Sept. 13 JSX bombing which
killed at least 10 people, injured 46 others and destroyed 179
cars.

Ibrahim Haji, a former Army personnel, was sentenced to seven
years in jail last September for selling marijuana. Both men are
Acehnese. (jun)