en.malanginspirasi.com – International and regional news outlets have turned their attention to latest prison scandal in Indonesia.
They reported on the suspension of five senior correctional officers following an unannounced inspection that uncovered villa-like accommodations, high-end amenities, and ongoing luxury construction at Cibinong Prison in Bogor, West Java.
Foreign reports underscored the role of Indonesia’s Ombudsman—an independent state body monitoring government services—in exposing the alleged favoritism.
International coverage detailed how inspectors discovered more than 10 residential units resembling homestays and villas about 100 meters from standard cell blocks, fully equipped with sofas, televisions, refrigerators, and alcohol.
Media organizations highlighted the official reaction from the government following the independent raid.
“We have suspended five structural officials who are suspected of being responsible for the incident uncovered by the Ombudsman,” the ministry’s Inspector-General Rudi Setiawan told reporters on Sept 26.
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Global news services detailed the circumstances of the inspection, describing how prison officials initially blocked watchdog investigators from standard cell blocks before the team stumbled upon the fenced-off luxury cluster.
Describing the encounter inside one of the units, Ombudsman member Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan noted, “When they realised this was the Ombudsman, they immediately ran into the bedrooms.”
“So, in our view, there are strong indications that there are special facilities for certain inmates at Cibinong prison,” she added.
Foreign press coverage also focused on the watchdog’s call for broader accountability across the country’s penal system.
“We ask the Immigration and Corrections Ministry to immediately launch a thorough evaluation of every form of irregularity and violation that has occurred,” Ombudsman member Syafrida R. Rasahan said on Thursday.
International outlets noted that this scandal echoes previous high-profile corruption cases in Indonesian correctional facilities, emphasizing growing demands from public officials and anti-corruption watchdogs for transparency and systemic reform.
