"I do not like to hear anymore reports about penitentiary officers taking illegal levies from visitors to the penitentiary. Just tell me about it and I will fire the officers," he said here on Saturday.
He said a lot of people had complained about illegal levies at penitentiaries. He said such activity must be stopped to improve the image of the ministry of justice before the public.
Besides illegal levies, he said, officers often also use violence against prisoners.
"I ever met a prisoner who suffered a physical defect which I later found out was inflicted on him by penitentiary officers. This must never happen again," he said.
He called on all penitentiary officers to be good and treat prisoners well so that they could be useful later after they are free.
Moreover, he said, the ministry of justice and human rights as well as the Attorney General Office have recently been given remuneration of up to Rp1.6 trillion. "It would be unethical if illegal levies still continue," he said.
The minister also said he would also fire immigration officers found acting improperly in their workplace.
"The warning must also be given to immigration officers because a lot of violations of regulations still happen. It is too much if they still do them while the state has also given them remuneration," he said.
(SYS/H-YH)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
