Two escape Cirebon prison

The Jakarta Post, Cirebon

Prisoner Mulyadi, sentenced to death for murder and Muhammad Ali, serving out a 14-year jail sentence for murder and illegal possession of firearms, broke out of the Kesambi Penitentiary in Cirebon, West Java, on Tuesday officials said.

The men, both Acehnese, remained at large late this week.

Bambang Margono, chief of the Kesambi Penitentiary, said on Wednesday that he could not tell when the jailbreak took place, but noted their cell was found empty at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

"The prisoners escaped after sawing their cell's trellis," while no one was watching, he said.

Mulyadi was still appealing his case to the Supreme Court over the death sentence he received from the Bandung Higher Court. He was moved to the prison from Bandung in August.

Ali, meanwhile, had been sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment for illegal gun running and a bomb attack last year.

Bambang said the breakout might have something to do with the lack of personnel guarding 480 prisoners in the facility.

Comr. Sarjono, chief The Cirebon City Police, said that while searching for the two, police have also begun questioning the three wardens on duty when the two prisoners escaped.

He added that the police would establish three teams to look for the two prisoners. "We will work hard to retrieve the prisoners," he said.