Another man confesses Bali bombing

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

The police on Thursday transferred a resident of Klaten, Central Java to Bali for further investigation in connection with his self-confessed role in the Oct. 12 Bali terror attacks that killed almost 200 people, mostly foreigners, and injured more than 320.

Suharyanto was sent to Bali after he walked freely into the police station in Klaten on Wednesday. He told the police that he had taken a load of explosive materials, on the orders of an organization called the "Klaten Group", to Denpasar before the bombing.

The spokesman for the police's joint inquiry team, Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang, confirmed on Thursday that Suharyanto's interrogation could be significant if the police obtained more information about the attack or any other men involved.

"We are still trying to get as much information as possible from Suharyanto. He was brought in to meet with a number of other Klaten Group people who are already being held. We are waiting for his arrival," he said on Thursday.

Aritonang explained that Suharyanto surrendered because he was afraid that he might be implicated in greater crimes in the police investigation.

"Suharyanto confessed that he and three others traveled to Bali with a package. He admitted that he had suspicions that the package contained explosive materials," he said.

Separately, chief investigator Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika concurred but said Suharyanto did know for sure what the package contained.

Meanwhile, a source from the investigation team revealed that the investigators on Friday were busy preparing legal and administrative papers to be sent to Solo, Central Java, in order for them to confiscate several more items from the suspects' houses to be taken as physical evidence.

"There are several things that we have to seize, such as the bed, mattress and rug which were used by the prime suspects of the blasts during their stay in Solo," the source said.

The source also disclosed another interesting fact about Imam Samudra who, investigators believe was one of the principal planners of the attack, along with Mukhlas.

"This guy (Samudra) refused to sit face to face with a female investigator. He said that his religious beliefs forbade him from looking at any women unless they were one of his wives. So anytime a female investigator was present in the room, he turned his back and we had to proceed that way, while the investigators hurled questions at his back," the source said.

Although he could not hide his growing impatience with the antics of Imam, the source admitted that Imam, whose real name is Abdul Azis, was indeed a very cunning man.

"In just a short time he is already able to converse in Balinese. Once, he even greeted the investigators in a high form of Balinese. He is definitely intelligent, that's for sure," he said.

Earlier on Thursday morning, A.W. Adnan and Lutfie Hakim of the Muslim Lawyers' Team (TPM), called on the police to have all the suspects reconstruct their role in launching the attack, including the assembling of the explosives.

"We believe that the bombs that exploded near the U.S. Consulate in Renon (district of Denpasar) and Paddy's were different from the ones that caused the massive explosion in front of the Sari Club. The first two contained chlorate while the latter contained a mixture of RDX and C-4," Adnan claimed.

RDX is the main component of C-4, a military explosive.

Responding to the request, Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said that the police had not made any decision whether the team would conduct a reenactment of the bombing or not.

"We will decide whether it is necessary to reenact it or not. The decision will not be made because of TPM pressure. We are not working for the Muslim Lawyers' Team. It is their responsibility to present whatever argument they have before a court of law," Aritonang said.