Police Reclaim Kerobokan Prison
Friday, 24 February, 2012 | 17:27 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, DENPASAR:The police, with help from the military, have managed to regain control of Kerobokan Penitentiary in Denpasar, Bali, which has been disrupted by rioting inmates since Wednesday evening.

The officers entered the prison at 4 p.m. yesterday.

The prison was badly damaged following the riot. The officers had to relocate some inmates to Karangasem Penitentiary. “This is an emergency measure until the pen is repaired. After the fire, all services were halted,” said Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin on the phone yesterday.

Amir visited the penitentiary soon after the police were able to regain control. He said he could yet conclude whether the riot was due to the policy enacted by the Kerobokan Penitentiary head, Bowo Niriwono. “We’re looking into it,” he said.

As such, he said had not decided whether to dismiss him. “We’re evaluating it and will decide it in the next one or two days,” he said.

A riot broke out in the prison on late Wednesday evening and followed on from riots and a stabbing the weekend prior. The inmates threw stones and Molotov bombs at the officers, forcing them to leave the prison yard.

According to the National Police’s public relations head, Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution, some inmates were unhappy with the result of a dialog held on Wednesday afternoon. The dialog discussed discriminative actions against the inmates and the stabbing of inmate, Made, on Sunday, February 19.

ROFIQI HASAN | ENNY RATNASARI | ANANDA W. TERESIA | ISMA SAVITRI | ENI SAENI