Another suspect admits to role in blast

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.