Artalyta Suryani & Prison Luxury
Jan 12th, 2010, in Opinion, by Ross
The ‘sel mewah’ scandal, rich convicts like Artalyta Suryani living in luxury in Jakarta’s prisons.
Palatial Prisons for “People Like Us”
Whilst not everyone always agrees with my fairly draconian views on law and order, it is probable that most IM readers and most Indonesians will concur with the outrage being expressed over the exposure of the double-standards applied to rich and poor criminals in Jakarta jails.
From the Straits Times online
A new task force to eradicate the judicial mafia in Indonesia has uncovered luxurious prison rooms furnished with LCD flat-screen television sets, spring mattresses, air-conditioners and even a karaoke set. The task force, acting on a tip-off, carried out surprise inspections at several jails on Sunday night and found that some inmates at Pondok Bambu women’s prison in East Jakarta had access to such special facilities.
I had heard that senior members of the security forces who came to grief in the courts were accorded special treatment ‘inside’ but that has been defended on the familiar lines of ‘they might be in danger from their old enemies in regular prisons’. But that argument does not apply to the lady we learn is relaxing at Pondok Bambu, businesswoman Artalyta Suryani, who is serving five years for bribing a senior prosecutor, convicted in July 2008.
Denny Indrayana, a task force member, said of Artalyta Suryani
Her cell was 8×8 sqm and has a kitchen
Members of the task force could not find Artalyta in her cell when they visited because she was having a facial in a special 64 sqm room which was connected to her cell.
Prisons are meant to be places of confinement, punishment and hopefully rehabilitation, not a five star indulgence for any rich bitch who falls foul of her greed or wayward character.
The air-conditioned room was furnished with a spring mattress, a flat-screen TV set, a work desk and a sofa. She even had a maid and a chauffeur.
Of course it is all wrong, but my natural indignation was heightened by watching the Metro TV news at 9am this morning, which showed a high-up from the government defending the disgraceful situation.
People like us could probably not sleep in a crowded cell.
That one sentence, that one phrase, dripping with the arrogance of a ruling class that holds itself in such high regard that it appears to consider ordinary folks a different species, exemplifies everything that is wrong with Indonesia.
I don’t ever commend coddling crims, but I see no reason why the copet who bugs me on a bus should get treated worse once he’s put behind bars than these revolting snobs. And let’s not just sack the officials in charge of the jail in question, or even the ministers on whose desks the buck should stop.
Let’s hope president SBY, supported undoubtedly by every citizen with a sense of justice, clears out every single stuck-up drip who shares the sentiments of that uniformed clown on Metro TV this morning.
22 Comments on “Artalyta Suryani & Prison Luxury”
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riniss says:
It is because many people want money the most than being afraid of the law.ridiculous,the prisoner has luxurious jail.maybe it’s what they meant by ‘hotel rodeo’ or jail with five star hotel facilities..
The latest news, Kepala Penjara has already being non active by the minister of law.
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BrotherMouzone says:
@Ross
Is that an actual photo of her cell/Karaoke Room?
Because I can clearly make out two shotguns mounted in a frame at the far end… probably not a great idea in a prison…
I took great pleasure in watching the Metro TV reporters ripping into the DepHukGit yesterday evening – they were openly laughing at his feeble answers. Particularly amusing was the fact that the prison authorities immediately filled the bedroom with other inmates and claimed that it was a “communal area” (that just happened to be lined with photos of Artalyta).
Best bit of Indonesian TV I’ve seen in years!
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That photo was ‘creatively’ added by me, no it’s not the real thing, was a bit rushed. (Edit – changed it) This may possibly be more like it.
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hmmmmh… well, she’ll probably will have some photo’s taken from her in some dirty hole in a wall with 15 hollow eyed fellow prisoners who each get 10.000rp and a free t shirt, she’ll do some teary eyed interviews for metro tv only…then we all forget about her again and she’ll move back in her comfy room where big bouquettes of flowers, compliments from surya paloh, await her… i’m not in the least surprised about all of this at all, it’s all pretty entertaining, seeing these elite type making fools of themselves so publicly all he time…
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in all honesty though, after watching the video, i’m not that impressed with her cel…
it is roomy though…
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Ross says:
I’ve stayed in worse!
But, m-r, you are sadly bound to be right, that the scandalous favoured status these rat-bags get will continue. In the usual way of things, I wouldn’t even have bothered to write the post.
However, that dork on Metro really ticked me off, addressing his fellow-pampered brats in such a manner that he overtly spat on the real people of this country who work so hard for so little return.
God help me, I’m beginning to sound like a commie! (sorry, fans, that last was humour) -
deta says:
then we all forget about her again and she’ll move back in her comfy room where big bouquettes of flowers, compliments from surya paloh, await her…
Indonesian people are forgetful, we’re fed up with too many unclosed cases, too many unfinished scandals. It’s the responsibility of the media to keep reminding people about injustice in Indonesia to make people aware and do not take it as business as usual.
The media has been doing quite good in gossiping the personal life of the artists. They can do the same thing in gossiping these rich bitches and their sons (sons of bitches) as well. If law can no more touch them (justice has been dead anyway), at least they will get the social punishment for what they’ve done
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Nice turn of phrase, deta!
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More pics, this is the ‘vocational room’ at Pondok Bambu
And then there’s our friend Ahmad Dhani who says “people who have money have to be treated differently”. And “she’s got a lot of money, she has to share it around. That’s a good thing”.
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it also would be a very good thing if this ahmad dhani would get prison-raped, the guy’s such a big asshole it would be a good thing if he shared a bit of it, what a jerk..
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JP today mentions she has acknowledged paying extra for the privileged place.
So since bribing a public official is surely illegal, let’s see the arrogant cow hauled back into court and given a few more years. -
Of course, the cynic in me might believe that this is a well-timed bit of distraction from the powers that be.
I think everyone has known that cells like this exist (and that wealthy prisoners come and go as they want) for a while, haven’t they? Convenient that this would come up now. Bank Centurwhat?
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jup, we’ll probably have some dangdut singer mysteriously dead or something too…
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Just saw her on Metro news, looking entirely unrepentant and saying that every woman wants to look her best, so why the fuss….she appears to be utterly without conscience. Am sure she is correct, but how many of the thousands of poor gals in jail get the chance to look their best?
This is so obvious that I feel awkward stating it, but it seems beyond these turds to recognise the iniquity of what goes on. -
Oigal says:
saying that every woman wants to look her best,
Well if thats the best she can look then she does deserve pity. She is uglier outside than she is inside and thats difficult in her case. The old sayings hold true “beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes right to the bone”
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adegustiann says:
bad law for indonesia. our goverment must make a good system to pair our country.. just it..
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Did anybody see Anggodo on Metro in the wee small hours, 3am-ish, today, Thursday.?
The show was called Republik Maling.
He’s in a ‘cell’ in Cipinang with 15 beds, very bright, clean-looking room, which does not resemble at all what one has heard about prisoner accommodation in Indonesia. I have stayed in Sydney Youth Hostel and Anggodo’s lodgings look a lot nicer.
The very pretty reporter lady asked him directly if he had paid anything for such ‘lebih enak’ facilities, and he clearly said he hadn’t.
The warden and various functionaries appeared, smiling and shaking hands very deferentially. Hard to imagine your average preman would get such treatment but never mind.
Stop press. As I watch, it turns out that the guy was not the warden but the Minister for Justice.
When he escorted the Metro gal on to the other types of cell, he did not shake hands nor did the cells resemble Anggodo’s. There were fewer smiles. Sydney Youth Hostel began to look quite appealing in retrospect.
The Minister did say that the place we’d first seen was temporary, for those not convicted. Apparently it was meant to be the hospital facility, though Anggodo said he was fine and showed no sign of illness.
A couple of guards were brought forward to say that no such thing as bribery for special treatment was known to them. I can’t imagine what reaction would have occurred if any prisoner had contradicted them, but no such bold inmate stepped forward. -
Apparently no dangdut singer died, but the mass ATM skimming case is enough to distract the Indonesian people’s attention away from this matter… Artalytwhat?
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Purba Negoro says:
yet again, many bule idiots all miss the point.
These cells and facilities are provided at the prisoner’s expense- not the State.
What is the nett evil- distribution of wealth to prisoners and guards for protection?
This does ever not happen in the West? Nonsense.Therefore- what a private individual does with their cell space is well within their rights as a condemned.
This norm is duplicated in the West- but as usual, vacuous whites fail to see their own hypocrisy before opening yammering mouth.How many Italian mafioso gained weight in prison on imported pastrami and mortadella?
Didn’t the Austrlian thin blue line in Melbourne’s Coburg have red-faces when explaining how they overlooked Ferraris parked in sub AUD $200,000 bungaloes?
Go watch Good Fellas.
To some, it may simplistic and patronisingly one-dimensional- but most of the bules here especially the Australians would be slightly hard pressed to comprehend it.Additionally- whatever wrongs these criminals may have done- they still did not murder and maim thousands of innocent Afghan’s or Iraqis for their elite’s insatiable oil lust.
Unlike the unaccountable terrorists John H(C)oward, Tony Bliar Blair and George (Curious George) Walker Bush JnrSummary- get own house in order before critiquing others. Otherwise shut yaps.
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ET says:
These cells and facilities are provided at the prisoner’s expense- not the State.
O, it’s okay then.
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aziz says:
i dont agree with this concept.if you want luxury might better stay out from comitting offences that is punishable wuth prisons term.
the purpose of prison is a place where incarceration is the basic of evrythng hoping that prisoners minght repent and feel sorry of what they have done.
this so call hotel definately wont change even an inches the criminal mind among exprisoners
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great post ross i couldn’t agree more… might be something to strip folks like this of their riches, give them a kaki lima and let them find out how the rest here is trying to survive… follow them with hidden camera’s and call the show hekuba’s wheel of fortune or something…