Hamzah calls for release of Agus<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Vice President Hamzah Haz called on the Philippine government
\non Saturday to release Agus Dwikarna if his arrest was in
\nconnection with a substantiated crime that he committed in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
\"If his arrest was based on a crime that took place in
\nIndonesia, there is no reason for the Philippine government to
\ndetain him there.<\/p>\n
\"Should that be the reason, just return him to the Indonesian
\ngovernment,\" the Vice President said after officiating at the
\n42nd anniversary of the Indonesian Muslim Students' Association
\n(PMII) at the National Monument in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Agus' release would allow the Indonesian authorities to
\ninvestigate his alleged crime, Hamzah added.<\/p>\n
Hamzah, however, said Jakarta would not intervene in the legal
\nprocess in the Philippines as the authorities there wanted to
\ninvestigate Agus further for his alleged possession of documents
\non Muslim organizations, which the Philippine government was
\nparticularly concerned about.<\/p>\n
All charges against Agus' friends, Abdul Jamal Balfas and
\nTamsil Linrung, have been dropped following a request from
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri to Philippine President Gloria
\nMacapagal Arroyo. The two Indonesian men arrived home on Friday.<\/p>\n
Hamzah said in a case where there was enough evidence to
\nprosecute an Indonesian national, the government would have no
\nobjections, such as in the case of Fathur Rochman al-Ghozi.<\/p>\n
Al-Ghozi was sentenced by a Philippine court to six years
\nimprisonment for immigration violations and 12 years for illegal
\npossession of explosives. He is to soon face another trial for
\nhis alleged involvement in a Manila bombing.<\/p>\n
\"We will not defend what's not right. What we will defend is
\nour citizens in cases where there are no indications that they
\nare guilty of a crime.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, we sincerely hope Agus will also be freed if no
\nindications of a crime are found,\" Hamzah said, adding that the
\ngovernment, through the Indonesian Embassy in the Philippines,
\nwould continue to closely monitor Agus' case and provide all
\nnecessary assistance.<\/p>\n
Thus far, there has been no request to extradite Agus from the
\nIndonesian government.<\/p>\n
Tamsil, a former deputy treasurer of the National Mandate
\nParty (PAN), businessman Jamal and Agus were arrested at Ninoy
\nAquino airport in Manila on March 13 for possessing bomb
\ncomponents.<\/p>\n
President Arroyo has promised to speed up Agus' trial and
\ncheck his case file.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hamzah-calls-for-release-of-agus-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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