Prison warden denies 'special treatment'

Prison warden denies 'special treatment'

JAKARTA (JP): The warden of Salemba Penitentiary has dismissed
reports some prisoners are accorded special privileges and
allowed to run criminal activities from behind bars.

Firma Uli Silalahi said at his office in East Jakarta on
Wednesday that there were no exceptions in the application of
prison rules and procedures.

"We hold routine inspections of all cells, always screen the
gifts and packages sent by the prisoners' families and enforce
strict visiting hours."

Silalahi showed 27 cellular telephones, which he said guards
confiscated from prisoners.

"The seized phones hopefully will show to the public that the
prisoners are treated equally here and they cannot bribe
officials to keep quiet about prohibited possessions just because
they're rich."

He said reports of the arrest of a man at the penitentiary on
suspicion of dealing drugs to prisoners were incorrect.

"He was not caught here but outside the penitentiary. I don't
know where," he said.

Jakarta Police said on Tuesday that they apprehended Koti
Kristiana alias Teddy at the penitentiary early Tuesday.

Teddy, 45, was arrested as he waited for a jailed businessman
named Alif in the prison lobby to hand over cash and ecstasy
pills, police said.

Alif was arrested in April for possession of marijuana and an
unlicensed weapon.

Teddy reportedly called Alif on his cellular phone to inform
him of a potential customer, who was an undercover police
detective, and proceeded to the prison.

The detective called in other officers to make the arrest when
he was sure Teddy had been permitted into the prison's lobby.

The team led by Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Alex
Bambang Riatmodjo apprehended Teddy, but Alif was stopped from
entering the lobby by prison guards and fellow prisoners.

"It was 3 a.m., so even if there was no drug transaction going
on at the time, what we witnessed was already a breach of the
regulation on visiting hours," Alex said.

He pledged to uncover drug dealing inside the prison and said
he would not tolerate anyone who shielded the criminals.

The detective chief scheduled a meeting with Silalahi at
Jakarta Police Headquarters, but the warden was unable to make
the appointment due to an impromptu inspection by officials from
the Ministry of Home Affairs. (emf)