Tommy denies links to spate of bombings<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo
\n\"Tommy\" Mandala Putra, denied on Saturday any involvement in a
\nspate of recent bombings, including the powerful explosion on
\nWednesday at the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building.<\/p>\n
\"I am very upset with Gus Dur's statement,\" Tommy told
\nreporters after being questioned at Jakarta Police headquarters
\nfor his alleged role in the series of bombings that have caused
\nconsiderable concern among office workers in the business
\ndistrict and residents in central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He was referring to President Abdurrahman Wahid, who a day
\nearlier publicly announced that he had ordered the arrest of the
\nyounger Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Tommy spoke briefly with reporters, saying he had appeared on
\nhis own initiative, then got hurriedly into his car under heavy
\nescort by police and private bodyguards.<\/p>\n
Unlike many other crime suspects, Tommy was questioned at the
\nair-conditioned office of Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen.
\nNurfaizi and was there for almost two and a half hours.<\/p>\n
The Wednesday explosion at the JSX building left at least 11
\ndead and dozens injured.<\/p>\n
The President said on Friday that he had issued an order
\nduring the Cabinet meeting on Thursday to arrest Tommy saying
\nthat there was plenty of evidence against Tommy in relation to
\nthe bombing.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said that he had also ordered the arrest of Habib Ali
\nBaagil, a leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) for his
\nalleged roles in the bombing.<\/p>\n
As with Tommy, Baagil also questioned Gus Dur's remarks
\nimplicating him as someone behind the series of bombings.<\/p>\n
Baagil and many legal practitioners and political observers
\nwanted the President to amplify his statements from Friday.<\/p>\n
Baagil has not yet appeared at Jakarta Police headquarters.<\/p>\n
Arriving at police headquarters at about 9:45 a.m. in a KIA
\nminivan, Tommy, attired in light brown batik, smiled to the flock
\nof newsmen.<\/p>\n
\"It's better for me to come down here myself than being looked
\nfor by the police,\" he said briefly and hastily went inside.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police criminal investigation chief Sen. Supt. Harry
\nMontolalu, who also attended the questioning, said the police had
\nasked Tommy to come to the headquarters to clarify his alleged
\nrole in the bombing.<\/p>\n
Harry said that Tommy had not been a suspect in the case even
\nthough Gus Dur had ordered the police to arrest him.<\/p>\n
\"He's not a suspect and you can say that (Tommy) was
\nquestioned as a witness if you want, but he was only asked for
\nclarification,\" Harry said.<\/p>\n
\"Even though the President ordered (us) to arrest (Tommy), the
\nterm 'arrest' still should be carried out in an investigation,\"
\nHarry said, adding that so far the police had found no proof to
\ncharge Tommy in the bombings.<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo said that
\nGus Dur's order meant that the President had a 'strong wish' for
\nthe bombing cases to be solved.<\/p>\n
Rusdihardjo was quoted by Antara news agency as saying that if
\nGur Dur mentioned names of people who should be arrested, it
\nmeant that the police should conduct a more intensive
\ninvestigation of the persons.<\/p>\n
\"It doesn't mean that we should conduct an arrest instantly.
\nIf we have strong evidence, then we'll make an arrest,\"
\nRusdihardjo said in Port Moresby, while accompanying Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri on an official visit to Papua
\nNew Guinea on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Harry also explained that his men had questioned the previous
\nowner of a Toyota sedan, which was allegedly used to place the
\nbomb at the P2 parking level of the JSX building.<\/p>\n
\"He sold the car two years ago but he doesn't have any
\ninformation about the buyer. That's why we're still tracing it,\"
\nHarry said.<\/p>\n
Harry also said that the bomb was fused with a timer.<\/p>\n
A police forensics team said earlier that the blast was caused
\nby a bomb containing over one kilogram of TNT (trinitrotoluene).<\/p>\n
Harry said that police have yet to find a man who was seen
\nleaving the car in a hurry after parking the vehicle on the P2
\nparking level, the lowest level of the 34-story JSX building.<\/p>\n
A security guard, Budyono, had tried to push the car that had
\nbeen parked improperly but failed, Harry said.<\/p>\n
\"When the security officer left to get the man who had just
\nleft, the car blew up,\" Harry said, adding that Budyono was
\nseverely injured and was still being treated.<\/p>\n
Harry said that the police had yet to see the video tape from
\na surveillance camera that filmed the garage prior to the blast.<\/p>\n
The blast at 3:17 p.m. destroyed 81 cars parked on P2 and P1
\nlevels and damaged 100 others. The trading at the exchange was
\nhastily suspended and according to the schedule, trading would
\nresume on Monday. (jaw\/bsr)<\/p>",
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