Hans David Tampobolon and Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Even after public pictures of five-star hotel facilities given to rich prisoners inside their cells, the government has yet to take firm action against officials responsible for providing these services, and allegedly receiving bribes in return. One official even said the facilities were "normal".
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's new task force on the eradication of the judicial mafia recently discovered that rich inmates, such as bribery convict Artalita Suryani, are receiving luxury treatment in jail following a snap inspection at the Bondok Bambu women's penitentiary in East Jakarta.
The team found during the inspection that Artalita's cell is connected to a 64 square-meter room equipped with a number of facilities. It found a spacious bed, refrigerator, television, a living room complete with sofa, tape player and a working table, and a karaoke room in the cell of another prisoner, Liem Marita alias Aling.
But the day after these discoveries, Yudhoyono asked the Justice and Human Rights Ministry to check on the report.
"There shouldn't be any special treatment, dispensations or similar privileges enjoyed by certain inmates," Presidential Spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
Julian refused to comment as to why the President did not order a thorough investigation by the police or the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), as observers said it was impossible for such facilities to be provided without bribery.
Julian also refused to comment on special treatment enjoyed by Aulia Pohan, former deputy governor of the central bank and the father-in-law of Yudhoyono's eldest son Agus Harimurti, in Kelapa Dua penitentiary in Depok, West Java, as reported by Tempo magazine.
Meanwhile, Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar only promised he would investigate the matters rather than directly giving punishments to his subordinates.
His direct subordinate, Director General for Correctional Institution Untung Sugiono, even defended his office saying the facilities were normal, and did not break regulations.
Former junior attorney general for intelligence Syamsu Djalal, however, was quick to say Untung should be held accountable and sacked.
Observers quickly said that the finding confirmed that judicial mafia practices have been tainting the the countries' justice system.
In November last year, the Constitutional Court revealed alleged judicial mafia practices, such as fixing evidence at the law enforcement level, by playing a tape containing conversations between Anggodo Widjojo and several high ranking officials at the National Police and the Attorney General's Office (AGO).
Anggodo, the younger brother of graft fugitive Anggoro Widjojo, was heard to be masterminding the possible frame-up of two KPK deputy chairmen – Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto. The House of Representatives Commission III on Law and Human Rights will summon Patrialis to question him about the issue.
"Exclusive facilities given to high-profile convicts have been a public secret for years," commission chairman, Benny K. Harman from the Democratic Party said.
"The Justice and Human Rights Minister has to be held responsible. Since this issue has been around for many years, we might also summon the previous minister, Pak Andi Matalatta," he added.