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A prosecutor at the center of a prison swap scandal was removed from his post on Friday, the chief of the East Java High Prosecutors’ Office said.

Wahyudi, who was chief prosecutor in Bojonegoro district, has been widely criticized for lax oversight after it was revealed that a female convict there, Kasiem, had paid another woman Rp 10 million ($1,110) to serve a seven-month sentence in her stead.

In an official ceremony, Wahyudi was replaced by Tris Sumardi, assistant for supervision at the East Java High Prosecutor’s Office.

Wahyudi himself has been recalled to the Attorney General’s Office, to serve as administrations chief of the AGO’s Central Information for Crimes division.

“This incident has become a lesson for everybody at the prosecutors’ offices to always be extra careful and to be extra vigilant toward such cases,” said Farela, chief of the East Java High Prosecutors’ Office.

Wahyudi was already given a stern warning because of the case. Hendro Sasmito, district chief prosecutor for special crimes was also given a stern warning while Tri Murwani, the prosecutor handling Kasiem’s case, was temporarily suspended.

Widodo Priyono, a staffer tasked with escorting the convict to prison was discharged.

The Bojonegoro District Police have declared Kasiem’s lawyer Hasnomo, his associate Angga and Widodo as criminal suspects in the prisoner switch.

They face charges of robbing the rights to freedom of an individual and of document falsification.

The handover of the convict was also not accompanied by a court order as required.

Bojonegoro Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Widodo said on Friday that while Widodo Priyono would be formally interrogated on Monday, Hasnomo himself would be questioned on Tuesday.

Muljono, an official with the provincial prosecutors’ office, brushed off criticisms that the punishments were light.

Meanwhile, the AGO in its probe discovered that a prison official named Atmari, who is responsible for receiving new prisoners at the state penitentiary in Bojonegoro, originally proposed finding someone else to serve the jail term for graft convict Kasiem.

He has since been suspended from his post.

The case was uncovered on Dec.27 when one of Kasiem’s neighbors went to visit her in jail , only to be presented with the alleged impostor.

Kasiem was arrested and taken to prison to start her sentence for real the following day, while Karni — the woman who took her place ­— has yet to be charged.

Erna Ratnaningsih, director of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, said it was unlikely the incident at Bojonegoro prison was a first for Indonesia.

“The prison system here is very weak, both for its administration and monitoring. How could somebody who was not a convict be able to break into a prison?” she asked.

“The prisons are like an independent country on their own. It’s hard for any outside bodies to do any inspections there.”

Comprehensive prison reforms including better monitoring and coordination was essential, she said.

She added, however, that a “legal mafia” — corrupt officials ranging from the police and prosecutors to judges — could peddle influence and ensure legal victories to the highest bidder.