Quassey is no Egyptian: Embassy<\/p>\n
The Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta said on Tuesday that Abu
\nQuassey, whom the Indonesian police are currently questioning in
\nconnection with people-smuggling activities to Australia, was not
\none of its citizens, and had no connection with Egypt at all.<\/p>\n
\"We categorically deny the allegation,\" Talaat Lotfy,
\ncounsellor and spokesman for the embassy, told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"We consider the information baseless and groundless,\" Lotfy
\nsaid, adding that Indonesian authorities investigating the case
\nhad already confirmed that his nationality was not Egyptian.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Police deputy spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr.
\nPrasetyo clarified the police's explanation of Quassey's
\nnationality. He said that the foreigner was Turkish and not
\nEgyptian.<\/p>\n
\"Quassey has confessed to being a Turk and we are still
\nwaiting for confirmation from immigration and the embassy of his
\nstatus,\" Prasetyo said.<\/p>\n
He admitted police had issued the statement based on
\npreliminary information and had not cross-checked it with any
\nrelated institutions in seeking to identify Quassey's
\nnationality.<\/p>\n
The man police identified as Quassey, alias Abu Kazi, alias
\nCentin Kaya Nugun, was arrested in the West Java town of Bandung
\nlast week.<\/p>\n
Initial police reports suggested that he was the man who
\nheaded a syndicate that arranged the smuggling of asylum seekers
\nof Middle Eastern and Central Asian origin from Indonesia to
\nAustralia by sea.<\/p>\n
His name and supposed Egyptian nationality came up several
\ntimes in Australian courts during the trials of asylum seekers
\nwho had been apprehended for illegal entry. Canberra had also
\nasked Jakarta to apprehend the man and extradite him once he had
\nbeen arrested.<\/p>\n
Some of the Iraqi asylum seekers who survived a boat accident
\nin which 350 people drowned off Java last month named Quassey as
\nthe man who had organized their dangerous trip to Australia.<\/p>\n
There has been no word since his arrest last week on whether
\nor not Australia had formally sought his extradition.<\/p>\n
But Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Izha Mahendra
\nhas told reporters that Indonesia would not extradite Quassey if
\nan application was forthcoming, because the bilateral extradition
\ntreaty did not cover citizens from third countries.<\/p>\n
He also made it clear that the refusal was in retaliation for
\nAustralia's decision not to extradite an Indonesian businessman
\nwho is wanted on corruption charges.<\/p>\n
Lotfy said there were some 200 Egyptians living and working in
\nIndonesia today, including 100 ulemas from Cairo's Al Azhar
\nUniversity.<\/p>\n
\"We are all doing good work in this country. We are all
\nfriendly people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The unfounded allegation about Quassey's nationality \"is
\nhurting the image of Egypt,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/quassey-is-no-egyptian-embassy-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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