Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Graft suspect Gayus Tambunan's illicit jaunts away from his detention cell have drawn fierce criticism of the country's prison system, and new hopes of credible reform.
"Thanks Gayus – he is so prominent that the media has widely publicized the corruption in detention centers," Indonesia Police Watch member Johnson Pandjaitan said.
Gayus, standing trial for allegedly bribing police detectives and a judge, has been named suspect for bribing wardens to allow him to leave a police detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java.
He allegedly paid Rp 368 million (US$41,220) to bribe warden Comr. Iwan Siswanto and his eight subordinates to be allowed out of detention at least once a week.
His "vacations" stole news headlines early this month after a photograph surfaced of a man resembling Gayus watching a tennis tournament in Bali. The police could not confirm whether the man in the photograph was Gayus, but they did reveal that Gayus was not in his cell on the day of the tennis match.
A police detainee who requested anonymity recently told The Jakarta Post that many wardens had prices for certain "services". Access to a cell phone, for example, would set back a detainee from Rp 100,000 to Rp 5 million, depending on how long the phone would be used, the detainee said. Leaving prison, however, would cost not only a lot more money but required a connection with a top official, the source said.
Following Gayus' case, several stories of alleged illegal treatments enjoyed by inmates have surfaced.
Graft convict Hamka Yandhu, a former legislator, was seen in Makassar, South Sulawesi, last week, when he was supposed to be serving his prison sentence at Salemba Penitentiary in Jakarta. Hamka admitted he had left prison, saying he had secured a permit to attend a ceremony to commemorate the 40th day of his mother's death in Bone, South Sulawesi.
Another source from the National Police said that convicted case broker Sjahril Djohan had also enjoyed special treatment from his guards. "Sjahril can leave his cell anytime he wants. And the so-called cell is actually an office room equipped with facilities," the source said.
Responding to the allegations, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said he would lead a reform of detention centers under his authority. Critics were quick to point out that Timur was not the first to pledge such action.
Johnson said there had been little change in the nation's prison institution since the presidential Judiciary Mafia Taskforce discovered that bribery convict and businesswoman Artalyta Suryani was doing time in luxurious quarters at Pondok Bambu Penitentiary in East Jakarta. Since the finding, officials from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry have made pledges to reform the system.
Presidential Judiciary Mafia Taskforce member Denny Indrayana said eradicating bribery would be difficult as long as wardens were underpaid.
The spokesman for Justice and Human Rights Ministry's directorate general for penitentiaries, Chandran Lestyono, said that low-ranking wardens' salaries ranged from Rp 2.5 million to Rp 4 million a month.
Chandran said low salaries did not excuse corruption. "Anybody found to be committing illegal practices must face serious punishment," he said.
Chandran said inmates were allowed to leave prison under certain circumstances, such as to visit a family member who had died or was critically ill.