"I am sorry I gave an impression of closing access to information because I wished to assure smooth and orderly implementation of the executions," the attorney general stated.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesias attorney general HM Prasetyo has offered an apology for the lack of transparency when it came to information he gave regarding the execution of four death row drug convicts early Friday morning.

"I am sorry I gave an impression of closing access to information because I wished to assure smooth and orderly implementation of the executions," he stated.

The number of convicts to be executed was changed from initially 14 to finally only four --- Freddy Budiman (Indonesia), Seck Osmani (Senegal), Humprey Eijeke (Nigeria) and Michael Titus (Nigeria).

Unlike what happened during the second wave of executions when Attorney General Prasetyo had himself made the announcement at a press conference, this time he gave no official information regarding the executions.

It was the deputy attorney general for general crimes, Noor Rochmad, who finally appeared at a press conference on the issue at the ferry port to Nusakambangan island off Cilacap, Central Java, where the executions were carried out.

The attorney general did not answer text messages from newsmen seeking his statement, leading to an impression that his office had blocked access to information about the executions.

Attorney General Prasetyo added that he had received a report from deputy attorney general Noor Rochmad that he was assigned to coordinate the task of carrying out the executions and it was accomplished at 00.45am.

"The executions were carried out at the Panaluan shooting range in Nusakambangan, considered an ideal location for the purpose," he noted.

The executions went off as per plan although it was raining very hard and the initially scheduled time to carry out the task at 00.00 hours was pushed back a little.

Freddy Budiman asked to be buried in Surabaya, East Java, while the bodies of the two Nigerian citizens were returned to their home country. One was cremated in Central Java.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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