Minister Vows To Fire Drug-Dealing Prison Wardens

Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, July 27 (ANTARA) - Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said prison wardens who prove to be  involved in narcotic drug dealing will be fired.

"We have already fired many of them so far," he warned after dedicating a Law Center here on Wednesday.

He said a penitentiary is not a narcotics den as has been reported so far but is a place for prisoners' correction.

"Again I called on wardens to be disciplined and not try to make the place a narcotics den," he said.

The minister also called on wardens to improve their image. "I do not want to hear again people saying that first gate is worth Rp10,000, second gate Rp20,000 and so on," he said.

He admitted that the case had happened because of income problems. "But the government now has already given them a performance allowance," he said.

Ahead of the Islamic fasting month he said the government even had planned to give their performance allowance for seven months all at once.

"I think the government has been wise. To be able to settle legal cases law enforcement officials's welfare must be improved," he said (Ant).