VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Police have interrogated three wardens over a clash that reportedly led to the death of two inmates at the Merauke correctional facility in Papua province.

It is true that on-duty wardens at the Merauke correctional facility were questioned at the Merauke District Police Station on Saturday, chief of the Merauke District Police, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Untung Sangaji, said on Monday.

The two dead inmates have been identified as Melianus Gebze and Sebastian Basik-Basik, he added.

The two inmates were reportedly tortured by other inmates over rumors they practiced black magic, which, they believed, caused the death of Emilianus Kaitimu, he informed.

As a matter of fact, Kaitimu died of a COVID-19 infection, he said.

Police also questioned 18 other inmates over the death of Gebze and Basik-Basik, he informed.

"The investigators have pocketed the names of people suspected of torturing the two inmates to death," he said.

However, he refused to divulge the names of the suspects, saying the investigation is still under way.

He said investigators have seized several objects that were allegedly used to torture the two victims as evidence.

He confirmed that many sharp weapons had been found at the correctional facility and now have been confiscated.

Their number might run into hundreds and most of them were made by the inmates of the correctional facility, he said.  (Antaranews)