Quiet Idul Fitri for Tommy and corruptors in prison

Slamet Susanto and Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Cilacap

Pleasure was reflected on the faces of the inmates during the prayer at the At-Taubah mosque in the Batu penitentiary on Nusakambangan Island in Cilacap, Central Java.

Besides having their prison sentences remitted by one month, they were given the freedom to celebrate Idul Fitri with fellow inmates on that day and received new shirts and sarongs from a fellow inmate, Hutomo Mandala Putra, who was moved to Batu from Jakarta's Cipinang penitentiary in August, 2002.

Better known as Tommy, the youngest son of former president Soeharto is in jail for the murder of Supreme Court Justice Safiudin Kartasasmita and firearms possesion.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and has become a permanent inmate at Batu.

The convicts began filling the mosque from 5:30 a.m but by 6:20 a.m., there were no signs the prayer would begin. However, 10 minutes later, shortly after Tommy entered the mosque, it did.

Wearing a pair of brown jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt, Tommy, who was accompanied by a senior guard, sat in the second to last row and listened pensively to the post-prayer sermon.

Tommy told The Jakarta Post he had not attended the Idul Fitri Eve ritual at the mosque. "I only listened to the recitations from my cell," he said.

He said he was resigned to the fact he could not celebrate Idul Fitri with his family in Jakarta, especially his father.

He had received news that some of his relatives would probably visit him later that day but declined to mention their names. "They will come after the reporters are gone," said Tommy with a laugh.

After the prayer, the favorite son of the former authoritarian ruler hurriedly returned to his cell, which is separated from those of other inmates. Tommy has his own cell because his lawyers argued he needed special protection from the sun's ultraviolet rays, which they said he is allergic to.

Tommy said that he had become accustomed to the quietness at the penitentiary. He did not even know of the arrival of two men convicted of corruption who had been put in cells next to his room on Nov. 4. "I've not yet become acquainted with them," he said.

The two new inmates are Duryani, a secretary of a non- governmental organization in Cirebon who was implicated for misappropriating Rp 979 million and Dedi Abdul Kadir, former branch manager of state-owned PT Pertani in Sukabumi who was convicted of embezzling Rp 2.45 billion.

Duryani said he was resigned to serving his sentence. However, Dedi who had diabetes, was isolated in his cell, he said.

"He is not ready to serve his prison sentence and is distressed," Duryani said.

Duryani said he wrote articles to kill time. He said he would compile the articles into a book and publish it next year.

"The theme of the book is how to keep the family intact from behind bars. I got the idea from fellow inmates whose wives filed for divorce from their husbands," said Duryani who has three wives.

Another nearby inmate is former Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency vice president Pande N. Lubis, who is also incarcerated for corruption.

Occupying a cell at the Permisan penitentiary, which is located at the far end of Nusakambangan island, Pande was reportedly unhappy because of the lack of a sit-down toilet in his cell.

Pande, who was convicted of stealing Rp 546 billion of the public funds in the Bank Bali case, had also complained about the bad food.

"There's only a squat latrine, so he has to use it. We cannot fulfill his demands by installing a new water closet in his cell. I treat every inmate equally," said the warden of Permisan penitentiary, Kristiadi.

In contrast to correctional institutions across the country, the situation at the four penitentiaries on Nusakambangan seemed quiet although it was Idul Fitri.

"Other penitentiaries located in the cities would be full of visitors. It's different here," said Kristiadi.

At Permisan, inmates and guards were seen cheerfully celebrating. A buffalo was slaughtered and its meat was distributed to the families of around 70 prison guards.

The 188 inmates were treated to a feast of ketupat (rice cooked in coconut leaf containers) and opor (meat cooked in coconut milk) prepared by the wives of the jail employees.