Suspects confess to part in McDonald's attack: Police<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Terror suspect Agung Abdul Hamid, who was recently captured in
\nYogyakarta along with an accomplice Munir Saleh, confessed to
\nplaying a role in the 2002 McDonald's blast in Makassar, South
\nSulawesi, police said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Agung alias Arifin, 36, and Munir alias Anshari, 27, were
\nflown from Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport to Makassar at around
\n1 p.m. on Tuesday aboard a commercial flight for further
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi
\nsaid that Agung admitted to having been involved in the Dec. 5,
\n2002 bombing of the McDonald's, which killed five people.<\/p>\n
The alleged mastermind behind the blast was asked more than 50
\nquestions during the interrogation at the Yogyakarta Police
\nheadquarters, which was conducted by an antiterror team from the
\nSouth Sulawesi Police department.<\/p>\n
\"We have sent Agung and Munir to Makassar for further
\nquestioning,\" Endi said.<\/p>\n
The suspects were taken from the Yogyakarta Police
\nheadquarters to the airport at noon, and alit their vehicles
\nwhile repeatedly shouting Allahu abkar (Allah is great) as
\nonlookers gathered around them.<\/p>\n
Agung and Munir had long been wanted by police since the
\ndeadly bombing in December 2002, during Ramadhan, in Makassar.
\nAgung reportedly fled with high explosives.<\/p>\n
Endi said that Agung and Munir had been living in Yogyakarta
\nfor quite some time before they were arrested on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"During his stay in Yogyakarta, Agung often moved from one
\nplace to another and went several times to Jakarta, Solo
\n(Surakarta) and Surabaya. When we finally arrested him, there was
\nno physical evidence confiscated,\" Endi added.<\/p>\n
He said that Agung was disguised as an onion trader who moved
\nfrom one town to another, while Munir acted as a used goods
\nvendor at the Klithikan traditional market in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The National Police detectives believe there is a link between
\nthe Makassar and Bali bombings. Both attacks have been blamed on
\nthe Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group.<\/p>\n
The police were apparently still investigating whether Agung
\nwas part of JI and involved in other terror attacks throughout
\nthe country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/suspects-confess-to-part-in-mcdonalds-attack-police-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}