Ba'asyir named terror suspect

P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The police, citing incriminating evidence collected during the ongoing intensive investigation, have formally named cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir a suspect in various terror attacks that rocked the country over the past few years.

National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Soedjono said on Friday the police would charge Ba'asyir under Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism.

"We will summon Ba'asyir for questioning immediately," he said.

The police's confirmation ended month-long speculation on the legal status of Ba'asyir, who will complete his jail term for immigration violations and document fraud on April 29. Ba'asyir has been detained since his forcible arrest by the police at the PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital in the Central Java town of Surakarta on Oct. 28, 2002.

Last month the United States government pressed ahead with an investigation into the cleric's alleged involvement in international terrorism. Washington also expressed worries about Ba'asyir being released from prison.

Indonesia has reacted angrily to the U.S. comments, branding them interference in Jakarta's domestic affairs.

Separately, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Friday the police had yet to determine the specific role of Ba'asyir -- whether he was directly involved, or simply aided and abetted those were involved in terrorist activities.

"We sent a letter on April 8 to inform the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office about the start of Ba'asyir's questioning. This is a part of the normal process set out in the Criminal Law Procedures Code," said Da'i.

Suyitno said the questioning of the cleric would revolve around his alleged role as the leader of a secretive organization that masterminded various terror attacks in the country.

"We already have the evidence, such as testimony from Singapore and Malaysia that mention the involvement of an organization of which Ba'asyir is stated as being the leader," said Suyitno.

Foreign governments have long believed that Ba'asyir is the spiritual leader of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), a UN-listed terrorist organization blamed for the October 2002 Bali blasts and the August 2003 JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta.

According to Suyitno, the police had documents belonging to the organization and would use these to prove the cleric's leadership role in the group.

Asked about Ba'asyir's possible involvement in the Bali bombings, Suyitno said the police would not focus on specific cases, but would rather look at the broader picture of overall terrorist connections.

During his earlier trial, the courts found no evidence of Ba'asyir's role in JI.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Kemas Yahya Rahman confirmed that according to a letter sent by the National Police investigating team on April 8, the cleric would be charged with violating Articles 14, 15, 17, and 18 of the antiterrorism law.

Article 14 says that any person who plans and/or persuades other parties to commit acts of terrorism can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment upon conviction.

Article 15 states that a person who assists or abets the commission of an act of terrorism can be charged with a criminal offense.

Article 17 says that if a terror attack is perpetrated under the name of an organization, an indictment can be addressed to the leadership of the group.

Article 18 states that any organization that is proved to have been involved in a terror attack may be fined up to Rp 1 trillion (US$117.6 million), and the government may declare it a prohibited organization.