Another suspect admits to role in blast<\/p>\n
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar<\/p>\n
Anton alias Iyad, one of the suspects in the bombing of a
\nMcDonald's outlet and the NV Hadji Kalla automobile showroom in
\nMakassar, South Sulawesi, on Dec.5, confessed that he was a
\nmember of a group led by Agung Hamid that was assigned to bomb
\nthe fast food restaurant in the Ratu Indah Mall.<\/p>\n
Police said that Anton acknowledged that he was the man who
\ndrove Azhar Daeng Salam on a motorbike to the McDonald's outlet.<\/p>\n
"Anton has confessed that he and Azhar Daeng Salam, who was
\nkilled in the bomb blast, bombed the McDonald's restaurant,"
\nSouth Sulawesi Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Ahmad Abdi
\nsaid here on Sunday.<\/p>\n
When Azhar entered the fast-food restaurant, Anton was waiting
\nfor him at a nearby location. Minutes later, an explosion rocked
\nthe restaurant.<\/p>\n
"Anton panicked and rushed to the bomb site immediately. After
\nfinding out that his friend had died, he quickly left the
\nlocation," Ahmad added.<\/p>\n
Anton was captured by a joint police team in Asera district,
\nKendari regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Dec. 30. Police have
\nannounced the names of 18 suspects in the incident. With the
\narrest of Anton, there are still four fugitives wanted in
\nconnection with the bombings, which killed three people.<\/p>\n
The four wanted men are Agung Hamid, Hisbullah Rasyid, Dahlan,
\nand Mirzal.<\/p>\n
The police said that Anton's involvement in the case was not
\nas a bomb-maker or explosives supplier. Anton had no expertise in
\nbomb-making or military skills and had never studied in the
\nSouthern Philippines or Afghanistan as had some of his friends.<\/p>\n
"But he can drive a motorcycle and car, skills that were
\nneeded by this group," Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
According to the police, only four of the 14 suspects could
\ndrive motorcycles and cars, namely Masnur, Mukhtar Daeng Lau,
\nIlham and Anton.<\/p>\n
Anton also confessed that a meeting took place at the
\nresidence of Agung Abdul Hamid in October.<\/p>\n
About seven people attended the meeting, including some
\nsuspects currently in the custody of the South Sulawesi Police.<\/p>\n
Anton told the police that the meeting discussed plans to
\nattack United States' interests in Makassar and South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, Agung showed those in attendance a bomb and
\nthe room where the bomb had been assembled.<\/p>\n
"Anton is a confidante of Agung Hamid," Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani
\npredicted that the other four suspects were still in South
\nSulawesi, probably the northern Sulawesi regencies of Mamuju,
\nTana Toraja and North Luwu.<\/p>\n
"There are 24 teams tasked with hunting them down," Firman
\nadded.<\/p>\n
The police had also dispatched teams to North Sulawesi to
\ntrack the perpetrators and prevent them from fleeing the country
\nto the Southern Philippines.<\/p>\n
Firman said he believed the wanted men were planning to flee
\nto the Southern Philippines as they had been educated there.<\/p>",
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