Five Indonesian prison officials have been suspended after investigators discovered an apartment-style compound with air conditioners, big-screen televisions and expensive cars allegedly used by inmates at a prison near Jakarta.
“We found strong indications that certain prisoners had access to special facilities unavailable to ordinary prisoners,” Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan, a member of Indonesia’s ombudsman, said on Tuesday, The Guardian reports. “We encountered prisoners inside the residential compound and discovered facilities resembling home stays, apartments and villas rather than prison housing.”
Investigators also found sofas and dining areas inside the units, while a gym and golf simulator were under construction in the complex.
The discovery has drawn widespread attention and renewed scrutiny of Indonesia’s prison system, which has long faced allegations that wealthy or well-connected inmates can obtain preferential treatment through bribery.
Luxury Facilities Found During Surprise Inspection
The allegations centre on Cibinong prison in Bogor, near Jakarta, where ombudsman investigators found more than 10 residential units separate from regular prison cells during a surprise inspection on September 23, Rasahan said.
The facilities were reportedly more like residential accommodation than conventional prison cells.
Rudi Setiawan, inspector general of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, said dozens of inmates and prison employees had been questioned as part of the investigation.
“We have suspended five structural officials, including the Cibinong prison chief, who are suspected of being responsible for the incident uncovered by the ombudsman,” Setiawan said.
Prison Chief Among Five Officials Suspended
Cibinong prison, spread across four hectares, houses a range of inmates, including people convicted of corruption and other high-profile prisoners. Authorities have not officially disclosed the identities of inmates allegedly living in the compound.
Lawmakers, anti-corruption activists and watchdog groups have called on authorities to reveal which inmates occupied the facilities and determine whether prison officials received payments in exchange for the privileges.
The buildings had originally been intended as official accommodation for prison personnel. Investigators are examining whether they were later converted into unauthorised housing for inmates, Setiawan said.
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Prison System Faces Renewed Scrutiny
The case has again put Indonesia’s corrections system under scrutiny after years of problems involving overcrowding, corruption and allegations that affluent inmates can obtain privileges unavailable to the wider prison population.
The investigation is continuing into how the residential facilities came to be used and whether prison personnel were involved in providing special treatment to inmates.
