Abdul admits bombing churches
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.