Abdul admits bombing churches

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Abdul Jabar, 35, one of the main suspects in the Christmas bombings in Jakarta in 2000, confessed to his role in the bombings, especially at the Koinonia church in East Jakarta and Anglican church in Central Jakarta.

"Our client has admitted as a 'gentleman' his involvement in the bombings targeting Christians at the Koinonia church and Anglican church," said Abdul's lawyer, Muhammad Ali of the Legal Aid Institute People's Suffering Mandate (LBH Ampera).

Ali quoted Abdul as saying following his meeting with the suspect who surrendered to police last week in West Nusa Tenggara.

Ali was accompanied by Jusuf, Abdul's brother-in-law.

A police source said that during the terror attacks, Abdul worked with his younger brother Salahudin along with two other accomplices, Darwin and Musa. Those three are still at large.

The bomb at the Koinonia church injured 10 people and damaged two cars. Police believe the bomb was planted in a car. However, a bomb package planted in Anglican church did not explode and the police took it away.

Abdul has been the apparent target of a police manhunt for three years after the Christmas bombings in the capital which killed four people and injured dozens of people. The coordinated attacks, also victimized dozens of Christians elsewhere in Jakarta, including Santa Anna in Duren Sawit, Santo Yosef in Matraman and the Cathedral near Lapangan Banteng in Central Jakarta.

At the same time, a wave of bomb attacks also ripped through many churches in different cities across the country claiming a total of 19 lives and injuring 120 people.

Police alleged earlier that the series of Christmas bombings in the country was part of an attack launched by the reactionary Muslim terror group, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Two of the Christmas bombers in Jakarta, Dedy Setiono alias Abas and Dani, a Malaysian citizen had been handed death sentences, while other bombing suspects, including Rusli alias Dicky, are still at large.

According to Ali, Abdul surrendered to police after pressure from his relatives to give himself up.

"Due to his fear, Abdul retained us as his lawyers in November last year," said Ali.

Jakarta Police Detectives for the Anti-Bomb and Terror section, Adj. Sr. Comr. Carlo B. Tewu said Abdul could be charged with illegal possession of explosives according to the Emergency Law No. 12, 1951 which carries a maximum penalty of death.

Ali added that Abdul also aided and abetted Imam Samudra, one of the key operatives in the Bali terrorist attack, by obtaining a fake identity card for him in Jakarta.

However, police thus far have yet to link Abdul any more directly than that to the Bali bombings.

The police source revealed that Abdul's two other brothers, Farihin and Mohammad Islam were also in police custody for illegal possession of ammunition and involvement in bombings in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Jusuf, who accompanied Ali to see Abdul, confirmed that Farihin and Mohammad Islam were now in police custody in Palu Police Headquarters.

The source added that Abdul's father, the late Ahmad Kandai was involved in a grenade attack on Nov. 30, 1957 in an assassination attempt on then President Sukarno who was visiting Cikini Institute in Central Jakarta. Sukarno managed to survive the attack.

Ali said the questioning of Abdul was still focused on the latter's whereabouts while he was in the run.

During his escape, Abdul reportedly moved to Jakarta, Dompu (in West Nusa Tenggara), Bima (West Nusatenggara), Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) and back to Dompu, which is the hometown of his wife.

"Tomorrow, police will allow Abdul to meet his mother, Siti Fadiah here," said Ali.