Ba'asyir named terror suspect

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.