1 Of 7 Wamena Prison Prisoners Who Escaped Were Arrested, Kalapas Admits Officers Are Middle

Kalapas Wamena Yoin V Aponno Holding a photo of an inmate who was arrested again in his office in Wamena, Wednesday (ANTARA/Yudhi Efendi)

JAKARTA - At least one of the seven inmates of the Wamena Correctional Institution (Lapas) in Papua Province, the fuzzy Mountains has been caught.

Head of the Class II B Correctional Institution (Kalapas) Wamena Yoin V. Aponno said that his party could not predict the escape of the inmates or inmates.

"Regarding the escape or chronology according to the crime scene or TKP on Tuesday (February 25) at 16.27 WIT, the movement has been carried out by the escaped inmates," he said when contacted, Wednesday, February 26, confiscated by Antara.

The seven inmates of Class II B Wamena Prison who escaped were Nelis Heliska Bin Hendrik Heluka, Penihas Heluka alias Kopi Tua Heluka, Rio Elopere Bin Jani Elopere, Ariel Sonyap alias Koroway Bin Simon Sonyap, Sergius Asso, Ferly Wesabla alias Ferlin, and Welinton Kogoya alias Ula.

According to him, at 15.00 WIT, block officers opened the doors of the inmates' rooms, after which the activities of the inmates went as usual.

"Officers were a bit careless when the inmates fled, it rained heavily and they had planned the escape," he said.

He explained that during the heavy rain, seven inmates took advantage of the situation to escape through the mosque area (in prisons), then cut barbed wire and wire ornames using pliers.

After that, seven inmates headed to post four and at this post there were no guard officers.

"Of the 10 guard officers, only eight were on duty, so this escape also included our negligence," he said.

He added that seven inmates, after arriving at post four, they used cloth to climb.

When three inmates jumped, then they were seen by prison officers on duty and at that time they had taken off picket.

"The seven inmates managed to jump, but one of them was caught by officers beside the post around the prison," he said.

One resident who was caught was Welinton Kogoya alias Ula.

He said the prison bell and bell were not heard too much by the officers because it rained quite hard at the time.

"At that time I led the officers to pursue the six inmates who fled, but to no avail. Finally, direct coordination was carried out with the TNI and Polri, namely the Jayawijaya Police, Kodim 1702 Jayawijaya, BIN Elang Jayawijaya, the Cartenz Peace Task Force, the XVII Cenderawasih Military Command, and Maleo (Kopasus)," he said.

Currently, his party is making repairs to damaged ornames wires, reporting regularly to the leadership, and forming a team to conduct searches.

"We hope that residents who know the whereabouts of the six inmates who escaped can report to the nearest security forces," he said.