American Marconi Wireless News - Indonesia razes poolside prison 'villas' where whisky, TVs seized

Officers raided the prison and emptied several "villas" of furniture, bottles of alcohol and at least one big-screen TV, before taking an excavator to 10 of the units and smashing them to the ground.

The Indonesian ombudsman's office said last week an inspection uncovered a cluster of indulgently furnished apartments inhabited by inmates on the grounds of the Cibinong men's prison in Bogor, south of the capital.

The inmates allegedly paid rent for the accommodation complete with couches, large beds, TVs, fridges and even dining tables.

Photos released by the ombudsman's office after an unannounced visit showed bottles of beer, whisky and other alcohol in a fridge door of one of the units described by the team as "villas".

An unlocked access gate linked the yard around the units to a bamboo forest, making it possible for the prisoners to enter and exit at will.

There was a "luxury car parking area" on the grounds, according to ombudsman official Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan, as well as a swimming pool and a gym.

A golf simulator was also being built for the residents.

"We found (the premises) occupied by inmates," Syafrida told a news conference last Thursday.

"So we strongly suspect that in Cibinong correctional facility, there are special facilities for some inmates."

- 'Illegal' -

The prison houses more than 1,800 inmates, many times its capacity. They are detained for a mix of crimes, including violent and white-collar offences such as corruption.

Money for the structures were "not sourced from the state budget... and there is no permit," the prison ministry's inspector general Rudi Setiawan told reporters.

"Some (inmates) had inhabited these buildings... We have received information on who were there, and we will follow up on who allowed it to happen."

Prison staff emptied the housing units of couches, fridges, coffee tables, beds and other comforts on Wednesday, stashing them to one side before razing 10 structures described by officials as "illegal".

The prisons ministry said it would report the findings of a preliminary investigation to parliament next week.

The inspector general said 52 inmates had been questioned so far.

The head of the prison and four other senior officials have been suspended.

Authorities have not divulged which inmates had inhabited the luxury accommodation, nor said what will happen to them now.

M.Fischer--AMWN