Though it was previously stated by Bali prison officials that Bali Nine member Michael Czugaj was transferred from the infamous Kerobokan Prison because of an ice addiction, officials at the Java jail where he’s currently locked up are giving a different reason for the inmate’s transfer.
Czugaj got a life sentence when he was arrested in April 2005 as a part of the Bali Nine plot to traffic drugs out of Bali. At just 19 years old at the time, he was caught in Bali’s airport with heroin strapped to his body.
The Australian was transferred with more than 60 other prisoners on April 27, 2016 from Kerobokan to Madiun prison in East Java.
Back in April, the reason provided for Czugaj’s transfer was that he was dealing an addiction to meth, but now Madiun prison’s head of security Tjahja Rediantana has told AAP that his transfer was about the Bali prison riot.
“According to our document, he’s not moved because of a drug problem. Along with other foreign inmates from Iran, they’re moved because of security reason, because there was a riot there in Kerobokan,” Rediantana told AAP.
He said that so far, there hasn’t been any indication that Czugaj has been using. The Java prison official added that the Australian could be transferred yet again if he requests to move to Tangerang Prison (west of Jakarta), putting him closer to the capital city and making it easier for family and friends to visit.
After the enlightening chat with Rediantana, AAP contacted Kerobokan prison governor Slamet Prihantara for clarification about just why the Bali Nine prisoner had to move—Prihantara responded that Czugaj was moved because of BOTH drugs and rioting. A convenient answer.
Kerobokan Prison has been said to be seriously overcrowded and a clash between rival gangs did reach fatal levels.
