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)