Amrozi owns up to possessing chemicals

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Bali bomb blast suspect Amrozi had admitted owning one ton of chemicals found in the house of his business partner Askhuri in Lamongan, East Java, and claimed the material was to be used in Ambon, National Police said Tuesday.

"The chemical ingredients of the Bali bomb were different from those found in Lamongan, East Java," said Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang, the spokesman of the Bali-based team investigating the bombing.

On Monday, East Java police seized one ton of chemicals believed to have been bought by Amrozi from chemical shop Tidar Kimia, owned by Silvester Tendean in Surabaya, East Java.

Amrozi said he stored the chemicals at Askhuri's house in Banjarwati village, Lamongan because of a lack of space. Askhuri, arrested in Malaysia a few days ago, was Amrozi's partner in selling cellular phones and motor cycles in their home town.

"Amrozi said he just waited for the order from someone to make bombs slated for Ambon," Aritonang said, adding that police had also questioned Silvester to cross check. The owner of the shop had admitted to having sold the chemicals to Amrozi.

Aritonang said police had a difficult job searching for other clues linking the Bali bombing to a series of attacks in Ambon, Jakarta, Batam island, Makassar, South Sulawesi and other places throughout Indonesia.

Persons involved in various bombings were assumed to have relations, Aritonang said. Some chemical substances used for the bombs were quite similar. "It seems there is a connection between one and the other bombing perpetrators."

"We are still making further investigations simultaneously but our first priority is the Bali bombing," Aritonang said. He added that police already had enough evidence to arrest other suspects.

In Lamongan, police also arrested Askhuri's wife Murni and their son Badri, daughter Arifah and son-in-law Tahubi.

Askhuri was reportedly arrested by Malaysian authorities on Dec. 12. However, Aritonang said he had asked the Indonesian investigating team in Malaysia to confirm the arrest.

"The name of the seized man was Ashuri not Askhuri," he said.

"Now, we are preparing to reconstruct the Bali bombing." Aritonang said.