Another suspect admits to role in blast

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Anton alias Iyad, one of the suspects in the bombing of a McDonald's outlet and the NV Hadji Kalla automobile showroom in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Dec.5, confessed that he was a member of a group led by Agung Hamid that was assigned to bomb the fast food restaurant in the Ratu Indah Mall.

Police said that Anton acknowledged that he was the man who drove Azhar Daeng Salam on a motorbike to the McDonald's outlet.

"Anton has confessed that he and Azhar Daeng Salam, who was killed in the bomb blast, bombed the McDonald's restaurant," South Sulawesi Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Ahmad Abdi said here on Sunday.

When Azhar entered the fast-food restaurant, Anton was waiting for him at a nearby location. Minutes later, an explosion rocked the restaurant.

"Anton panicked and rushed to the bomb site immediately. After finding out that his friend had died, he quickly left the location," Ahmad added.

Anton was captured by a joint police team in Asera district, Kendari regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Dec. 30. Police have announced the names of 18 suspects in the incident. With the arrest of Anton, there are still four fugitives wanted in connection with the bombings, which killed three people.

The four wanted men are Agung Hamid, Hisbullah Rasyid, Dahlan, and Mirzal.

The police said that Anton's involvement in the case was not as a bomb-maker or explosives supplier. Anton had no expertise in bomb-making or military skills and had never studied in the Southern Philippines or Afghanistan as had some of his friends.

"But he can drive a motorcycle and car, skills that were needed by this group," Ahmad said.

According to the police, only four of the 14 suspects could drive motorcycles and cars, namely Masnur, Mukhtar Daeng Lau, Ilham and Anton.

Anton also confessed that a meeting took place at the residence of Agung Abdul Hamid in October.

About seven people attended the meeting, including some suspects currently in the custody of the South Sulawesi Police.

Anton told the police that the meeting discussed plans to attack United States' interests in Makassar and South Sulawesi.

At the meeting, Agung showed those in attendance a bomb and the room where the bomb had been assembled.

"Anton is a confidante of Agung Hamid," Ahmad said.

Meanwhile, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani predicted that the other four suspects were still in South Sulawesi, probably the northern Sulawesi regencies of Mamuju, Tana Toraja and North Luwu.

"There are 24 teams tasked with hunting them down," Firman added.

The police had also dispatched teams to North Sulawesi to track the perpetrators and prevent them from fleeing the country to the Southern Philippines.

Firman said he believed the wanted men were planning to flee to the Southern Philippines as they had been educated there.