Indonesia suspends five officials over luxury apartments for inmates

Warden among five officials suspended over the discovery of an apartment-style compound for inmates at the Cibinong prison.A prison warden in Indonesia has been suspended, along with four other officials, after investigators discovered a compound of luxury apartment-style residences allegedly used by inmates at a penitentiary near the capital, Jakarta.The action was announced on Tuesday by Rudi Setiawan, the inspector general of the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. “We have suspended five structural officials, including the Cibinong prison chief, who are suspected of being responsible for the incident uncovered by the Ombudsman,” he said.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Indonesia airports reopen after volcanic ash disrupts thousands of flightslist 2 of 3Indonesia acquires first aircraft carrier amid military upgradelist 3 of 3Indonesia ferry search: Divers retrieve three bodies, 126 people missingend of listDozens of inmates and prison employees have been questioned, he said.The units, more than 10 in all, stood apart from the regular cellblocks at Cibinong prison in Bogor, near Jakarta.They were found on September 23 during a surprise inspection by Indonesia’s Ombudsman, the government’s public-service watchdog.Investigators said the residences contained air-conditioners, big-screen televisions, refrigerators, sofas and dining areas. They also reported finding a gym, a golf simulator under construction, and luxury vehicles on the grounds.“We found strong indications that certain inmates had access to special facilities unavailable to ordinary prisoners,” Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan, an Ombudsman member, said at a news conference.“We encountered inmates inside the residential compound and discovered facilities resembling homestays, apartments and villas rather than prison housing,” she said.The buildings were originally intended as official housing for prison personnel, but investigators are examining whether they were converted into unauthorised accommodations for inmates.