Bombing suspects reenact crime at Istiqlal Mosque

JAKARTA (JP): The sequence of events leading to the powerful blast at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque that shocked the country was reenacted on Tuesday by seven suspects, all street musicians.

Under the heavy guard of detectives and Elite Police Mobile Brigade officers, the reenactment took at least one and a half hours. The event attracted scores of motorists and passersby who watched the seven men arriving at the mosque compound, place the fake explosive devices and "leave" the site.

The suspects were not allowed to speak to the press and police were also tightlipped about the case.

"Please don't disturb the suspects. We're now examining whether their confessions matched the actual actions," an officer said, adding that all relevant information was disclosed by City Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman a day earlier.

During the reenactment, the seven suspects -- Wawan, Boy, Rully, Suradi, Semi, Japra and Usi, aged between 17 and 22 -- performed their alleged roles in the blast that rocked the ground floor of the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia.

On Monday, Noegroho said the seven men -- who all lived in a rented house in Ciledug, South Jakarta -- had allegedly committed the crime after being threatened by a group of unidentified people.

They were allegedly ordered to carry out the mission via written messages sent by the group, who threatened to kill the suspects' families should they fail in the assignment.

Preliminary police investigations revealed that contact between the masterminds of the blast and the couriers for their messages was never realized through face-to-face communication.

Out of the seven suspects, only Wawan had admitted meeting with those who sent the written orders.

The bombs, said to be of a potent mixture of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and potassium chlorate (KCLO3), exploded at 3:20 p.m. on April 19 and shattered the windows and property of 21 offices of various Islamic organizations on the mosque's ground floor.

During the reenactment on Tuesday, the suspects, except for Rully, reportedly left their house in Ciledug in a blue metallic Escudo jeep.

Inside the car, three explosive devices and written orders for their detonation were supposedly placed by the masterminds, or their associates.

The bombs were put inside a 20 centimeter by 40 centimeter wooden box, which was kept in a black plastic bag.

The jeep -- traced by its color and number plate -- was said to be owned by Arimbi, a female volunteer at a social welfare foundation, Forum Insan Sejati, in the Kebon Sirih area, not far from the mosque.

Noegroho said the seven had received in the past different kinds of "training skills", including English courses, at the foundation.

Earlier, Arimbi told police her car was at a vehicle repair shop when the blast took place.

Before arriving at the mosque, the seven suspects, following orders received in a message were told to pick up an RX-King motorcycle at "a certain place" near a bakso (meatball) stall in Gondangdia area, Central Jakarta.

During the enactment, the motorcycle was used by Wawan and Roy, while their other alleged accomplices remained inside the jeep.

Upon their arrival at the mosque compound, the car was parked in front of the Jakarta Cathedral and the motorcycle was left in the mosque parking lot.

Suradi carried the plastic bag, which he later handed to Wawan at the front gate of the mosque.

Wawan then carried the plastic bag with Boy, who then asked to stop to buy bottled tea. While waiting for Boy, Wawan met his friend Alex, a shoe shiner in the area.

A few minutes later, Boy and Wawan walked inside the mosque where they met Rully, who was already waiting in front of the office of the Indonesian Islamic Women's Organization Conference.

In the reenactment, Boy watched while Rully placed the plastic bag on the floor and Wawan read out the written orders, including how to activate the button on the box.

The three then left the building. Rully went to the toilet and Wawan and Boy left the mosque compound.

In the parking lot, Boy asked Wawan to stop for another drink. After finishing their drinks, the two were about to depart when the bombs exploded.

Imron, a mosque security guard, gave chase, but the two managed to escape and then successfully evaded attempts by Nur Akmal, a parking attendant, to block their passage.

The two then joined their accomplices, except for Rully, at a parking lot of a Ciledug theater, where they had been previously ordered to abandon the vehicles.

So far, police claim to be still in the dark about the blast. (emf)