Cibinong, West Java. Indonesian authorities began demolishing 10 apartment-like buildings at Cibinong Prison on Wednesday after the facilities came under scrutiny over allegations that inmates received preferential treatment outside their regular cells.

The demolition began during a visit by members of the House of Representatives' Commission XIII, who arrived at the prison in Bogor Regency earlier in the day to inspect the controversial compound.

Ministry officials, lawmakers and journalists watched as heavy machinery tore into the white-painted buildings that had become the focus of a widening investigation into possible misconduct at the prison.

The first building demolished was among those discovered during an unannounced inspection by the Indonesian Ombudsman on Sept. 23.

Before demolition began, workers removed furniture and other belongings from the building.

During its inspection, the Ombudsman found facilities including sofas, air conditioning, a kitchen, dining furniture and a refrigerator containing alcoholic beverages -- amenities that stood in stark contrast to ordinary prison accommodation.

The discovery prompted allegations that some inmates, including corruption convicts, had been given privileged access to the facilities. The Immigration and Corrections Ministry is investigating how the buildings were used and whether prison officials abused their authority.

Buildings Not Registered as State Assets
Immigration and Corrections Ministry Inspector General Rudi Setiawan said questions had also emerged over the legal and administrative status of the buildings.

Of 16 buildings in the area, only three had been registered in the government's state asset management system. Thirteen buildings along the Ciliwung riverbank were not registered as state assets.

“The other buildings were not funded by the state budget but were built independently,” Rudi said, without elaborating on who financed their construction.

He said the structures lacked the required permits and were located in an area where construction was prohibited because of its proximity to the river.

“The buildings don't have permits, and as we can see, there is a river nearby, so this is indeed an area where buildings should not be constructed,” Rudi said.

The ministry has also acknowledged preliminary indications of abuse of authority in connection with the controversial facilities, while its internal investigation remains underway.

Ombudsman Confirms Encounter with Corruption Convict
The controversy began after the Ombudsman's Sept. 23 inspection uncovered the cluster of unusually well-equipped buildings behind the prison.

Ombudsman member Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan has since confirmed that convicted businessman Jimmy Masrin was present in the area when the inspection took place.

Syafrida said the identification was based on witness information, photographs and an encounter between Jimmy and one of the Ombudsman's assistants.

The Ombudsman also found a framed photograph of Jimmy inside one of the buildings.

Syafrida said the Ombudsman's preliminary suspicion was that Jimmy had been occupying one of the facilities, but she stressed that the Immigration and Corrections Ministry's investigation would determine the circumstances surrounding their use.

Prison officials have previously disputed suggestions that the buildings functioned as secret luxury residences for inmates, saying some were intended as staff accommodation or facilities connected to prison programs.

The ministry has suspended five Cibinong Prison officials, including the warden, while investigators examine possible misconduct surrounding the facilities.

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