East Timor Police Successfully arrested inmates from Bali

DILI – East Timorese general police commander Julio da Costa Hornay acknowledged that the police criminal investigation and maritime police had arrested fugitive prisoners from Bali's Indonesian prison on Wednesday morning in Dili, East Timor.

He added that these two citizens were illegally entering Timor Leste. They used small boats from Alor island to Dili.

"We also get a letter from the Indonesian police (POLRI) that these foreigners are running out of Bali prison so they are asking for our help to arrest these inmates," he says in a press conference in his office.

He explains, after the process of arresting the criminal investigation police directly reported to the high prosecutor's office and the prosecutor's office has also given mandate to the police to conduct a more detailed investigation process in accordance with applicable law in Timor Leste.

"The investigation police will also cooperate with Indonesian police on this case and we have also called the POLRI attaché at the Indonesian embassy. He has come here and admitted that these two men are inmates who came out of Bali prison,” he says.

He explains, about the deportation process or not, still awaiting the results of investigations from the police criminal investigation and mandate from the high prosecutor's office. Two inmates who have been captured by Timor-Leste's criminal investigation police and maritime police are from Bulgarian and Indian citizens.

According to Julio that, the two inmates were allegedly involved in the case of money laundering and narcotics.

He added that they can not mention their names because they are still in the process of further investigation.

 The tunnel through which the Kerobokan inmates escaped. Photo: Supplied

Bali police's vice-director of Special Criminal Investigation, Ruddi Setiawan, said Indonesian authorities had arranged to pick the men up soon.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/two-prisoners-who-escaped-from-balis-kerobokan-jail-arrested-20170622-gwwmmx.html.

"We are still searching for the other two," he said.

Mr Setiawan said the Bali police chief would make a formal announcement after the two men had been picked up.

The prisoners had staged a brazen escape from Kerobokan jail via a hole in the wall of their prison block and a 13-metre tunnel, which had been assumed to be a septic tank.

Bali corrections chief Surung Pasaribu said "Praise God" when he learned of the prisoners' arrest.

Earlier Mr Pasaribu had said the tunnel, dug under the noses of the prison guards, was believed to be the work of professionals, expressing incredulity there was no evidence of digging.

"There was no left over dirt. So professionals. Hopefully we can uncover the matter," said Mr Pasaribu. 

Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolov Iliev is one of the two escaped convicts who has been arrested, Indonesian police say. Photo: Amilia Rosa

He said the "professionals" could have come from inside or outside the jail. "When I asked my officers, they didn't know there was a hole there."

Mr Pasaribu warned the men would face further charges for damaging property after they broke a hole in the ceiling of the Bedugul block sometime before 8am on Monday.

Under Indonesian law the maximum penalty for property damage is two years and eight months' jail, but escaping from prison does not result in an increased sentence.

However, any remissions for good behavior would be revoked and they would be placed back in the "introduction cells", which are the most cramped in the chronically overcrowded jail.

 Asked if they would be put into solitary confinement - the notorious cell tikus (rat cell) in Kerobokan jail, Mr Pasaribu said: "Let's wait for them to return. Don't make them afraid".

Australian man Shaun Davidson is still on the run.

In an interview with Fairfax Media last September, Davidson said when he first got to the jail 20 people were crammed inside the cells allocated to new prisoners. They were not even given a mat.

"No beds, no nothing, you don't get given anything. Just like concrete floors. In the corner they have got a bit blocked off where there is a hole in the ground. That's pretty much the toilet and the shower," he said at the time.

However perversely it appears Davidson was hopeful of extending his stay in Hotel K, as the jail is colloquially known.

Outstanding warrants remain for the 33-year-old, who failed to show up at the Perth Magistrates Court in 2015 on charges of possessing methamphetamine and cannabis with intent to sell or supply.

"It's quite simple. He didn't want to come back to Australia and do more jail time," a former inmate told Fairfax Media.

"I spent a lot of time with those guys. The breakout is no surprise to me."

 Bulgarian Dimitar Nikolev Iliev after being arrested in East Timor.  Photo: Supplied

 

Kerobokan Prison governor Tonny Nainggolan said he had been informed of the arrests and the return of the men was still being coordinated.

He said an internal investigation into the breakout was still being concluded and would soon be handed over to police.

To date no-one had admitted to assisting the prisoners escape. 

 

Bali escapee Sayed Mohammed Said after being arrested in East Timor. Photo: Supplied  

  

Sayed Mohammed Said, top, has been caught while Tee Kok King (bottom) is still on the run. Photo: Amilia Rosa

Mr Tonny said police would investigate if anyone from the outside had been involved, a crime that carried a four year jail sentence, possibly more if bribery was involved.

As for the escapees, Mr Tonny said several of their rights would be "eliminated", including access to visitors, remission and parole.

"Isolation cells, that's for sure," he said.