JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—The Immigration and Corrections Ministry has temporarily suspended the head of Cibinong Class IIA Penitentiary and four other officials. Investigators examine allegations involving apartment-like accommodation near the prison complex in Bogor, West Java.

The ministry suspended prison head Wisnu Hani Putranto following an unannounced inspection by the Indonesian Ombudsman on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

The other officials are the head of the prison security unit, the head of inmate development, the head of security and order, and the head of general affairs.

“Yes, they have been removed from duty and are being examined,” ministry Insp. Gen. Rudi Setiawan said on Saturday, September 26.

Rudi later described the measure as a temporary deactivation of five structural officials. These individuals may bear responsibility for the conditions reported by the Ombudsman.

The administrative action does not constitute a finding of misconduct, and the ministry has yet to announce the investigation’s timetable.

Investigators will question prison employees and inmates to establish how the accommodation was used and who occupied it. They will determine whether anyone received improper payments.

They will also examine the management of state-owned facilities and reports that several items had disappeared or been moved after the Ombudsman’s visit.

The Ombudsman said its inspectors found a group of buildings outside the main cellblocks. These buildings allegedly housed inmates and contained domestic facilities resembling furnished apartments.

Its official statement also reported an unsecured rear access point connected to a bamboo grove and waste-disposal area. This raises concerns about prison security.

The Ombudsman said its team had initially faced resistance while attempting to enter the prison blocks.

One person interviewed during the inspection reportedly identified himself as an inmate. He claimed that he had paid to use one of the units. Authorities have not independently verified that statement, and investigators have announced no criminal charges.

The West Java corrections office offered a different account. Its head, Yudi Suseno, said the buildings stood in a former assimilation and education facility area. He also explained that administrative decrees allocated the official residences to prison officials.

He said eligible inmates could work in the assimilation area during the day. However, he acknowledged that officials still needed to investigate whether anyone had misused the properties.

The corrections office said the complex contained 11 official residences.

The inquiry will therefore need to reconcile the Ombudsman’s observations with the corrections office’s explanation. Furthermore, it will determine whether inmates stayed in facilities intended for officials.

Indonesia’s 2022 Corrections Law requires the prison system to uphold human rights and apply the principle of nondiscrimination. This includes equal treatment regardless of social or economic status.

The law also places security and inmate development within the corrections system’s core responsibilities. Law No. 22 of 2022 took effect in August 2022.

The ministry said it would use the inquiry’s findings to improve governance at Cibinong prison.

Any further disciplinary or legal action will depend on evidence gathered from documents, facility records and interviews with those involved.