Govt confirms terrorist-suspect Taufik is an Indonesian<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The mystery about the citizenship of detained terrorist suspect
\nTaufik Rifki has been uncovered after Indonesian diplomats met
\nwith the detainee at Aquinaldo Camp in Quezon City, Manila,
\nPhilippines on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa
\nsaid on Friday that Taufik, arrested in Southern Philippines
\nearly October, was Indonesian-born but fell short of saying that
\nhe was an Indonesian citizen.<\/p>\n
\"There are no legal documents to prove his citizenship, but we
\nagree that he is an Indonesian and will provide legal assistance
\nfor him,\" Marty said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Marty expressed regret over the decision of the
\nPhilippines to name Taufik as an Indonesian without sufficient
\ndata to back its claim.<\/p>\n
The conclusion, according to Marty, was reached after
\nIndonesian diplomats in Manila interviewed Taufik, who entered
\nthe Philippines illegally in August 1998.<\/p>\n
He also said that Taufik had been told not to sign any legal
\ndocuments from the Philippine authorities without the presence of
\ndefense lawyers.<\/p>\n
The government was still trying to provide a lawyer for
\nTaufik, to help him through the legal proceedings, Marty said.<\/p>\n
\"However, this does not mean that we want to interfere with
\nthe ongoing legal proceedings, we will only fulfill our
\nobligation to provide assistance for him as our citizen,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He underlined that the assistance was aimed at ensuring that
\nTaufik received proper treatment during the interrogation.<\/p>\n
\"With the confession and other proof, there are indications
\nthat he may have involved in actions that violate the Philippine
\nlaw,\" Marty said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Consulate staff managed to meet Taufik on Thursday
\nfor more than three hours at the Philippine armed forces
\nintelligence office.<\/p>\n
In the interview, Taufik told the consulate staff that he was
\na member of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and served as treasurer of one
\nof the network's cells.<\/p>\n
Born in Surakarta, Central Java in Aug. 9, 1974, Taufik along
\nwith nine other Indonesians entered the Philippines illegally in
\nAugust 1998 and met with another seven Indonesians in Cotabato
\nCity.<\/p>\n
Taufik confessed that the journey was organized by an
\nIndonesian from Surabaya. Unconfirmed reports said that they were
\nrecruited by an Indonesian, known as a JI leader in East Java.<\/p>\n
The group then went to Udaydiyyah camp, around three-hours
\ndrive from Cotabato, to join military training.<\/p>\n
\"This was full military training, where they were trained to
\nassemble and use explosives, use heavy arms, read maps and other
\ntraining,\" Marty said.<\/p>\n
Taufik said that there were around 30 Indonesians in the camp
\nincluding him and those who traveled with him.<\/p>\n
\"He said the late Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi was one of the
\ninstructors in the training site,\" Marty said, referring to
\nanother convicted Indonesian terrorist who was shot dead in an
\narmed encounter in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Al-Ghozi was sentenced to 17 years in prison by a district
\ncourt in Manila for illegally possessing explosive material. He
\nescaped from prison early this year and was shot dead after a
\nlong manhunt.<\/p>\n
Marty said that in the interview, Taufik mentioned the names
\nof nine others traveling with him from Surabaya to the
\nPhilippines in 1998.<\/p>\n
Based on Taufik's confession, Indonesian and Philippine
\nauthorities are currently tracking down the other Indonesians who
\njoined the military training.<\/p>\n
\"We still do not know whether these people have already
\nreturned to Indonesia, remained in the Philippines or moved to
\nanother country,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-confirms-terrorist-suspect-taufik-is-an-indonesian-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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