Coffee for two 'no storm in teacup'<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Legal experts deplored on Thursday the decision by the National
\nPolice's bomb squad chief, Brig. Gen. Gorries Mere, to take
\nconvicted Bali bomber Ali Imron out for an evening coffee in a
\nplush, all-American cafe in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Rudi Satrio, a criminologist with the University of Indonesia,
\nsaid that it was unacceptable for a police officer and a
\nconvicted mass murderer to be seen \"socializing\" together.<\/p>\n
People would question the motives behind the move, even if the
\npolice claimed it was part of the continuing effort to obtain
\nmore information about terror networks in Indonesia, he argued.<\/p>\n
\"There is no legislation governing the places where and times
\nwhen a person may be questioned. Basically, the police have the
\nright to obtain whatever information they need. However, a cozy
\nscene involving a police officer and a convicted killer before
\nthe full gaze of the public is clearly inappropriate,\" Rudy told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the police could claim the rendezvous was merely an
\nattempt to obtain information from Imron, but many people would
\ntend to believe that the prisoner was been accorded special
\nprivileges by the authorities.<\/p>\n
The issue could spark accusations that the police were being
\ndiscriminatory, Rudy added.<\/p>\n
Another noted criminal law expert, Harkristuti Harkrisnowo,
\nconcurred, saying that it would strike most people as strange to
\nsee a police officer and a convicted killer sipping coffee in a
\npublic place.<\/p>\n
\"The police can remove a convict from a prison if the warden
\nconsents. However, they should seek a more private venue if they
\nwant to elicit further information from the prisoner,\" she told
\nthe Post separately.<\/p>\n
Ali Imron, who was sentenced to life for his role in the Bali
\nbombing outrages of Oct. 12, 2002, that killed 202 people, was
\nspotted unhandcuffed by several reporters at Starbucks cafe in
\nCentral Jakarta on Wednesday night drinking coffee with Gorries
\nMere.<\/p>\n
Australia, which lost 88 of its citizens in the Bali attacks,
\nalso expressed concern over the Starbucks excursion.<\/p>\n
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he had
\ncontacted the Indonesian authorities over the incident, and had
\nbeen assured that Ali would continue to serve his sentence.<\/p>\n
\"We have checked, we have made absolutely sure that he is not
\ngoing to be released,\" he was quoted as saying by AFP.<\/p>\n
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
\nSudjono confirmed Ali's excursion in Jakarta, saying that he had
\nbeen brought to the cafe by police officers in an attempt to gain
\ninformation that could lead to the capture of other terrorists.<\/p>\n
Gorries, a senior officer closely involved in investigating
\nthe Bali blasts, had complied with the proper procedures when
\nremoving Ali from prison, and had taken all necessary security
\nprecautions to prevent him from escaping, Suyitno added.<\/p>\n
However, he confirmed that Imron was not handcuffed during the
\nouting, saying he was escorted by a sufficient number of police
\nofficers to ensure security.<\/p>\n
Unlike the other perpetrators of the Bali bombings, Imron
\ncooperated with the investigators after his arrest. He repeatedly
\nexpressed remorse over the loss of so many lives in one of the
\ncountry's worst ever tragedies.<\/p>\n
Several media outlets have speculated that Ali was flown to
\nJakarta to testify against elderly cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who
\nis expected to soon go on trial on terrorism charges.<\/p>\n
Others have speculated that Ali was brought to the cafe to
\nmeet with terror suspect Saifuddin alias Abu Fida in a bid to
\nhelp determine the whereabouts of two Malaysian fugitives,
\nAzahari bin Husin and Noordin Moh Top, who are believed to have
\nbeen the masterminds behind a series of terror attacks in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The police refused to comment on the speculation, merely
\nreiterating their line that Ali's help was needed to locate a
\nnumber of fugitive terror suspects.<\/p>",
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