Inspector General Napoleon Asks To Move Prison, Because there are 3 Prisoners Died Of COVID-19

Inspector General Napoleon at the beginning of the Joko Tjandra case (DOK VOI / Rizky Adytia)

JAKARTA - Former Head of International Relations Division Police Inspector General Napoleon Bonaparte asked the panel of judges to permit for him to move from the Criminal Investigation (Bareskrim) Prison to the Commands' Office Brimob Kelapa Dua prison, Depok.

The transfer was because Inspector General Napoleon was worried about his health. Because three prisoners have died from COVID-19 at the Criminal Investigation Prison.

The request was revealed after the head judge at trial Muhammad Damis informed him of a request letter from Inspector General Napoleon Bonaparte.

"On February 16, 2021, we received a letter submitted by the defendant's legal team of lawyers regarding a request that the prisoners be moved to their place in detention, namely that they were initially held at the Bareskrim detention center and requested to be transferred to the Commands' Office Brimob detention center", said Damis in the Corruption Court courtroom Central Jakarta, Monday, February 22.

The judge asked the Public Prosecutor (JPU) to consider it. However, prosecutor Zunaedi, who did not know the reason for the request, refused the request. The reason was that while he was placed in the Bareskrim detention center there were never any obstacles during the trial process.

However, Judge Damis explained the reasons behind the petition. One of them is related to the spread of COVID-19.

"There were several reasons put forward, including the increase in the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in the environment where the defendant was detained. That is the point and in the letter, it was stated that prisoners had died due to exposure to COVID-19", said Damis.

Attorney Zunaedi remained in his opinion so that the panel of judges rejected the request. Inspector General Napoleon also explained the reasons for the request. He is afraid of being exposed to the COVID-19.

"I've been in the Criminal Investigation Prison for more than 4 months. I count that in the past 2 months, 3 prisoners died positive for COVID-19", he said.

In fact, Inspector General Napoleon expressed his fear of getting worse when he saw the Ustaz Maheer's corpse.

"The last 2 weeks, February 8, 2021, on Monday, when I arrived in the cell at 8.30 in the evening, Ustaz Maheer's body was passing in front of me that his cell was right next to my room. With a disease reason that was not mentioned by the Public Relations of the Police", he said.