Legal Actions for Wardens Involved in Prison Extortions: Yasonna

PEKANBARU, KOMPAS – Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H Laoly said officials and wardens of the Sialang Bungkuk Class IIB Penitentiary in Pekanbaru, Riau, would be legally processed for allegedly extorting and collecting illegal levies from prisoners. Upon arriving in Pekanbaru on Sunday morning, Yasonna inspected the Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary along with Riau governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman, Riau Police chief Insp. Gen. Zulkarnain and 031/Wirabima military resort commander Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim. In his visit, Yasonna listened to inmates’ complaints.

Yasonna then gathered all officers of the Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary for a stern meeting.

“I request that the Riau Police chief and the local precinct police chief investigate allegations of extortions and illegal levies conducted by penitentiary officers. Administratively, we will discharge all of them temporarily while awaiting investigation results. Legal action will be taken as there should be no mercy for this,” Yasonna said.

The three officers discharged for the investigation process included penitentiary chief Teguh Triahatmoko, chief of security division Taufik and chief of inmate service division Tomi Firgaus. Yasonna said several other security officers would also be discharged and questioned.

Riau Police chief Zulkarnain said he had received the Law and Human Rights Minister’s request regarding the allegations of extortions by penitentiary officers. However, the police are still focused on re-arresting the 199 escaped inmates.

In the wake of the escaped inmates from the Sialang Bungkuk Penitentiary, the West Sumatra Police said it had strengthened security monitoring and conducted checks at random in Pasaman, Limapuluh Kota and Dharmasraya regencies that border Riau Province.

Yasonna said the government was discussing alternative punitive measures other than imprisonment to respond to the problem of overcrowding in the nation’s penitentiaries. (SAH/ZAK/IAN)

Kompas/Yuniadhi Agung

Yasonna H Laoly