An Indonesian man on the run for six months after escaping custody from a Bali prison has finally been recaptured.
Putu Suciawan, who slipped a prison guard in September 2017, was apprehended by police in Maumere, Flores on Monday morning.
Suciawan, originally from Buleleng, had served about three-and-a-half years for a fraud conviction at the district jail in Gianyar.
The recaptured prisoner arrived in Bali on Tuesday morning and was sent to Gianyar Police headquarters for examination.
Apparently showing no remorse for his jailbreak, Suciawan says he does not agree with his conviction.
“I ran, not for fear of punishment, but for justice. I feel this sentence is not fair,” Suciawan said, as quoted by Bali Post.
Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief Denny Septiawan says police had already detected Suciawan two weeks ago. He was known to have been working as a guide in Labuan Bajo, Flores.
“The information was that he became a guide, but after we checked, the suspect moved to Ruteng,” Septiawan said.
“The perpetrator was arrested while sleeping, and without a fight,” the police chief added.
It took so long to hunt down Suciawan, because the man was often moving, Septiawan said.
The consequences of Suciawan’s escape is “under review,” but the elapsed time that Suciawan was outside of prison should be added on to his current time, says head of Gianyar corrections, Made Astra.
When back at the prison, Suciawan will be moved to a “special cell” this time around, which will be smaller than the typical cell.
“We will also devote extra attention to his supervision,” Astra said.
Suciawan escaped from custody on Sept. 7, 2017 when he got permission along with another inmate to go to Denpasar for the purpose of buying musical instruments for the correction facility, escorted by a prison guard.
On the way back to the prison after buying the instruments, they did not return directly, but instead stopped in Ubud at the request of Suciawan who said he wanted to meet his friend. While the prison guard and the inmate waited in the car, Suciawan never returned.
Astawa said Suciawan had been permitted to go out from the prison because they had trusted he wouldn’t run away.
The guard involved has been dealt with firmly, says Astra.
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