Attacker's body buried by police

JAKARTA: The body of Hasballah, 22, one of two suspects in a failed grenade attack in South Jakarta, became on Saturday an object of contention among the Media Indonesia Group, the Taman Iskandar Muda Association for Acehnese and the police.

The former two groups each wanted to take Hasballah's body from Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for burial.

However, after a one-hour meeting at National Police Headquarters, at 2:30 p.m. the police rejected the two groups' request and instead decided to bury the body at the expense of the police force.

The Acehnese association had offered to bury the body as Hasballah's family felt at risk from a group of people Hasballah had been associated with.

Later, the Media Indonesia Group, which is under the chairmanship of Suryo Paloh, an Acehnese, offered to bury the body.

According to Margiyanto, the head of the Cipto Mangunkusumo morgue, it is uncommon for the police to claim a corpse.

Usually all unclaimed corpses, including those whose death is still under police investigation, are buried at the expense of the city administration.

South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Abdurrahman planned on Saturday to bury the body immediately at Pondok Kemiri, East Jakarta. -- JP