Prisoner hangs himself in Cipinang

JAKARTA (JP): A prisoner hanged himself inside his jail cell at the Cipinang Penitentiary on Thursday.

A penitentiary warden on Friday confirmed the suicide and identified the prisoner as 24-year-old Sopher Manurung.

"We found him hanging in his cell at about 4:05 p.m. We were shocked ... We don't understand why he did it," the penitentiary warden who requested anonymity told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

According to a prisoner in the cell located next to Sopher's, Nainggolan, 15 minutes before the incident, Sopher had asked Nainggolan to make Indomie instant noodles for him. That was the last time they spoke.

On Thursday evening, an inmate at Cipinang Penitentiary called the Post about the suicide and said: "The prisoner who committed suicide was frustrated. He had seen many prisoners paying bribes which he did as well."

Sopher was found hanging in cell number 1, of Block 1D. He had been jailed in November 1998 for committing a violent robbery, to serve a 12-year jail sentence. (ylt/emf)