Bombing cases reenacted
Bombing cases reenacted
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Two men alledged to have taken part in last year's Christmas bombing campaign in Jakarta, have helped police recreate attacks on the Atrium Plaza and a catholic high school.
"The reconstructions are needed to complete the police reports before all documents are brought to court," City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam told reporters on Wednesday.
Anton said the reconstructions presented Malaysian citizens Dani, alias Taufik Abdullah, and alledged confessed serial bomber Abas, alias Edi Sutiono, as the prime suspects in the bombings.
It is alledged that on Aug. 1 Dani brought a bomb wrapped in a plastic bag, and stood near a column in the west lobby of the Atrium Plaza, Central Jakarta awaiting a signal from four friends including Abas.
But, before the bomb was planted, it exploded and injured six people at the scene, including Dani whose right leg has since been amputated.
The bomb was intended for a bus load of Christians holding a religious gathering at the Aston hotel adjacent to the plaza.
Based on Dani's testimony, police tracked down the other suspects, including Abas who was arrested on Sep. 12 in Tasikmalaya, West Java.
Following Abas' arrest, the police arrested 12 other suspects undergoing military-style training in Pandeglang, West Java.
All of the suspects belonged to the Jihad squad of a Mujahidin group based in Malaysia, police said.
Police said Abas had admitted that he was involved in the bombings of several churches in the capital around Christmas last year, which claimed 19 lives.
In Wednesday's reconstruction of the Christmas-day bombing in front of Kolese Kanisius, a Catholic high school in Menteng, Abas and another suspect were dropped off at Gambir railway station in Central Jakarta.
From Gambir, they took a three-wheeled pedicab, bajaj, but seperated with Abas heading to Kolese Kanisius while the second man made his way to a church he has since admitted bombing.
It is alledged Abas went to Kolese Kanisius on foot and put two bombs wrapped in black plastic bags under two parked cars.
Anton said thus far, police believed the Malaysia-based Mujahidin was behind the Christmas attacks.
The group, however, were not linked to the Plaza Atrium bombing and the recent attack on Petra church in North Jakarta as police alleged the Free Aceh Movement and another radical group respectively were behind the bombings.