Coffee jaunt 'risky and downright irresponsible'<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Whatever motives were behind the excursion of a convicted Bali
\nbomber with an investigator to an upscale Jakarta coffee house on
\nWednesday night, a former police officer says it was too risky
\nand downright irresponsible.<\/p>\n
A lecturer in Sociology and Law at the University of Indonesia
\nand a former police officer, Bambang Widodo, said on Friday the
\ninterrogation methods apparently being used by bomb squad chief
\nBrig. Gen. Gorries Mere when he took convict terrorist Ali Imron
\nout for coffee were a failure.<\/p>\n
\"Gorries was supposedly conducting an 'undercover mission'.
\nBut the fact that people recognized him proves that he failed to
\ndo that,\" Bambang told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He also questioned Gorries' decision to expose the convict to
\nthe public, saying it was very risky because he could flee or the
\nother members of the terrorist group could make contact with him.<\/p>\n
\"What if a member of Imron's terror group shot him to make him
\nkeep his mouth shut? The police can lose a very important source
\nof information, or what if Gorries himself was shot?\" Bambang
\nwondered.<\/p>\n
He said there were many ways to conduct a comfortable
\ninterrogation without having to take so many risks.<\/p>\n
\"Comfortable for who? I doubt that Imron felt comfortable in
\nthat upscale cafe. There are many places where police could
\nquestion suspects without making them feel intimidated,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Remorseful Bali bomber Imron was spotted by several reporters
\nat the Starbucks in Central Jakarta on Wednesday night with
\nGorries.<\/p>\n
National Police detective chief Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
\nSudjono said that Gorries, an officer who has been closely
\ninvolved in the investigation into the 2002 Bali blasts, had
\ntaken Imron using all the proper procedures and had taken proper
\nsecurity measures to prevent the convict from escaping.<\/p>\n
Imron was not handcuffed during the outing but was guarded by
\na sufficient number of police personnel, Suyitno said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar
\nacknowledged the case had raised questions from the general
\npublic as to why a convict was treated to coffee excursion.<\/p>\n
\"I have asked his (Gorries') superior to question him. He
\nshould explain whether he was there to conduct an investigation
\nor not,\" Da'i said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Suyitno said that Gorries and Imron were to meet with a
\npsychologist and Abu Fida alias Saifuddin, a terror suspect
\nbelieved to have met with two Malaysian fugitives Azahari bin
\nHusin and Noordin Moh Top. The Malaysians are wanted for the Bali
\nblasts and the bomb attack on the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Saifuddin was captured in Surabaya in early August. He was
\nreportedly tortured by the police officers, and is now in a state
\nof deep depression, unwilling to speak. However, the police have
\ndenied the accusation.<\/p>\n
\"Gorries wanted to get information from Saifuddin through Ali
\nImron because both come from the same group. My officers believed
\nthat Imron together with the psychologist could make Saifuddin
\ntalk about Noordin and Azahari,\" said Suyitno.<\/p>\n
From the interrogation, he said, the police managed to trace
\nthe whereabouts of the most-wanted Malaysians, Suyitno added.<\/p>",
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