Another man confesses Bali bombing

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.