TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi stated the construction of special cell for terrorist inmates will be soon completed in Nusakambangan Prison, Cilacap, Central Java.

“[It’ll be completed in] the next 3 to 4 months with maximum security in Nusakambangan. We’ve built the prison since long ago, now it’s on the final stage,” said Jokowi in Golkar Party office, Jakarta, on Wednesday, May 23.

Jokowi said the prison has a capacity of 500 rooms. However, he has not decided yet on the recommendation delivered National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian to build special penitentiary for terrorist convicts in Cikeas as it was still on engineering draft.

The suggestion was conveyed in the closed meeting regarding counterterrorism efforts in Presidential Ofice on Tuesday, May 22. According to Tito, there are many headquarters of police’s mobile brigade (Brimob) in Cikeas so that the security would be tightened.

“We couldn’t further utilize the prison in Mako Brimob, Depok for terrorist inmates,” Tito added.

According to the former Jakarta Police Chief, terrorist detainees could not be placed among other detainees because they might influence the others regarding radicalism and terrorism issue.

Aside from National Police Chief, a member of Law Commission at the House of Representatives (DPR), Arteria Dahlan, supported the building of Nusakambangan prison for terrorist convicts. Later, he expected, other special prisons with maximum security could be constructed in Cikeas, West Java.

FRISKI RIANA