Tansil's escape erodes trust in law enforcers
Tansil's escape erodes trust in law enforcers
JAKARTA (JP): Fraudulent tycoon Eddy Tansil's dramatic escape from prison, allegedly with the help of warders, has badly dented the public's trust in law enforcers, observers said yesterday.
They said the escape of the businessman serving a 20-year sentence for defrauding Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo) of $620 million should prompt the government to review prison security systems.
Ismail Hasan Metareum, chief of the United Development Party and a deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said Tansil's jailbreak has further smeared the image of Indonesia's law enforcers.
"The startling news came at a time when the public is questioning law enforcers' integrity and independence of our judicial system," he said.
Convicted in 1994, Tansil escaped Saturday from the Cipinang prison -- but it was reported to Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman only on Tuesday. While in prison Tansil reportedly enjoyed special treatment.
Oetojo said yesterday eight prison warders have been questioned on suspicion they knew of the escape or colluded with Tansil to let the 42-year-old convict walk out of the penitentiary.
Oetojo has suspended Cipinang prison chief warden Mintardjo on two grounds: carelessness in letting Tansil go out of the prison and failing to promptly report on Tansil's escape.
Ismail Hasan said his party will set up a special team to investigate the case.
Lawyer T. Mulya Lubis called the incident a "tragedy" of law enforcement.
"It's not just the problem of the Cipinang penitentiary. Collusion and bribery also take place in other correctional institutions, in district courts, in the Supreme Court... This is the result of the 'collective sins' of law enforcers, including some defense lawyers," Lubis said.
Political will from the government to apply the rule of law is essential in the efforts to improve the situation, he said.
Tansil's escape also provoked a strong reaction from the Indonesian Bar Association.
Djohan Djauhari, secretary general of the Association, said that Tansil's escape reflects weak supervision not only in the Cipinang penitentiary but in the legal system as a whole.
"Before he escaped, there had been reports that he received special treatment from the penitentiary officers. The authorities should have probed the reports thoroughly and taken action against those who gave him special treatment," Djohan told The Jakarta Post.
Morally, the city justice office and the directorate general of correctional affairs should be held responsible for the escape, he said.
He urged the government to evaluate supervision in the legal system, especially in the penitentiaries, to prevent similar cases occurring.
Both Djohan and Lubis called for legal action against anyone involved in Tansil's escape.
"Administrative action alone is not enough. They must be sent to court for helping Eddy Tansil leave the prison," Lubis said.
Meanwhile, House member A.A. Oka Mahendra from the ruling political grouping, Golkar, pointed out that Tansil's escape shows that the security system in the Cipinang prison is highly questionable.
He questioned why justice officials ignored calls to transfer Tansil to the high security prison in the Nusa Kambangan Island, Central Java, where hardcore criminals serve their jail term.
He called on the police to cooperate with their Interpol counterparts in their efforts to recapture the owner of the Golden Key Group.
Moestahid Astari, chief of the Golkar faction in the House, said he strongly believed collusion was involved in the escape as privileges for the convict have become public knowledge.
"Eddy Tansil could easily obtain dispensation to go out of the prison. The prison warders had been too generous about dispensation, which Eddy Tansil finally took advantage of," he said.
Legislator Suparman Achmad, chief of the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the House, said Tansil's disappearance was startling and should provoke prison warders to tighten security.
"Our law enforcers should make total introspection," he said.
Strong reaction also came from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
"His escape is worsening public's cynicism of our law enforcers," said chief of the PDI faction at the House Fatimah Achmad.
"The authorities should do everything possible to recapture him, no mater how powerful his backers might be," she added. (sim/pan)