Bomb suspects in police custody

Bomb suspects in police custody

JAKARTA (JP): The three men arrested in an East Jakarta
apartment last week on charges of making bombs and plotting a
political maneuver have been transferred from the city's military
command to police headquarters for further investigation.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday the
suspects, who were arrested in Klender, were moved to Jakarta
Police Headquarters on Sunday night.

Aritonang refused to name the three. He identified them only
as students and used their initials: MY, 25, AR, 24, and NP, 28.

"We've also received some documents supporting the
authorities' allegations," Aritonang, who refused to disclose the
content of the documents but said that they included an
Indonesian passport, said.

The three suspects were arrested in a raid launched by
military personnel last Friday during which remote control
devices, homemade bombs and chemical ingredients were
confiscated.

Sucipto, the neighborhood chief who checked on the suspects
before their apartment was raided, said he saw the personnel
remove bags containing remote controls, chemical liquids and
bombs.

But Aritonang said the police did not received the evidence in
the way Sucipto described.

"There were no bombs or explosives in there."

He also refused to say whether the three were members of the
banned youth organization Democratic People's Party (PRD) as
earlier claimed by the military command's spokesman, Lt. Col. DJ.
Nachrowi.

"We've just begun our investigation. I can't say whether
they're PRD members," Aritonang said.

PRD was banned last year and its key leaders, mostly students,
imprisoned on charges of undermining the government.

Nachrowi said separately yesterday his office had taken the
three suspects' initial statements and examined the documents,
which suggest they were affiliated with PRD. The papers also
contain articles on communism, he added.

"Based on those documents, we are sure that they are PRD
activists and we suspect that they also have certain connections
with the alleged bombmaker who was arrested in Tanah Tinggi
apartment (in January)."

On Jan. 18, the military arrested Agus Priyono at his rented
room in an apartment block and seized books, documents,
diskettes, dozens of unfinished handmade bombs and materials
believed to be used to make bombs. (09/cst)