Business as usual for Amrozi despite possible death

Business as usual for Amrozi despite possible death

Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

It is business as usual for Amrozi, a terror suspect who could
face the death sentence for his alleged role in last month's
deadly blasts on the resort island of Bali that left over 190
people dead and some 300 others injured, mostly foreigners.

A key suspect in the Oct. 12 terrorist attack, Amrozi always
appears relaxed, smiles a lot and at times behaves playfully in
his tightly guarded cell in the Bali Police Headquarters in
Denpasar.

Amrozi, a 40-year-old junior high school graduate,
occasionally tells jokes from his cell to the more than 20
security personnel guarding him. Security personnel say they have
never seen the suspect shed a tear or show any sign of regret for
the attack.

"He is a funny person. He sometimes tells jokes from his
cell," one policeman told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

The international community, particularly Australia, was
outraged by televised images of a laughing and smiling Amrozi
being interviewed by National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

Amrozi put on a similar show last Saturday during his second
public appearance, when he was presented to 17 members of House
of Representatives Commissions I and II, who quizzed him for 10
minutes.

Amrozi appeared relaxed throughout the meeting, smiled a lot,
and answered all questions posed by the legislators.

Unlike many other detainees, the smiling Amrozi appears not to
feel any remorse over his alleged role in the murder of over 190
people in Kuta, Bali.

According to police investigators, Amrozi and his accomplices
wanted to kill as many Americans as possible in protest against
global injustices committed by the superpower.

However, most of the victims of the bombing, considered the
worst terrorist attack since the Sept. 11 attacks on the United
States, were Australians.

Amrozi has so far been more than willing to answer the
questions of police investigators, which has helped the
multinational team investigating the attack to move forward in
its investigation and arrest Imam Samudra, the alleged mastermind
of the attack.

The fact that the suspect appears happy and shows no
compunction when dealing with investigators raised suspicion that
Amrozi might be suffering from psychological problems and
required special treatment.

The police, however, said that according to a check-up Amrozi
received while in jail, the suspect is physically and
psychologically healthy.

Sociologists and psychologists have said that Amrozi typifies
Indonesians in general, who have lost their sense of humanity
because of the widespread violence in the country.

Since Amrozi was captured on Nov. 5 in his hometown of
Lamongan, East Java, and moved to Bali for detention, security
has been tightened at the police headquarters and the surround
area.

At least 10 riot officers and dozens of police detectives,
intelligence and provost officers guard Amrozi's cell around the
clock. All carry firearms and other weapons.

"These are just anticipatory measures as he is a special
detainee in the global (antiterror) campaign," a police officer
said.

Amrozi's cell is located behind two locked doors. Police
guards posted there are on full alert and watch the detainee's
every movement. Amrozi's hands are always handcuffed except when
he eats, prays and bathes.

He sleeps on a carpet with one pillow. There are no chairs or
tables in his cell.

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, Amrozi prays five times
a day and eats twice daily.

Yet, he is able to get whatever food and drink he wants,
especially during the investigation.

A detective said investigators provided Amrozi with whatever
he wanted to eat or drink in order to smooth the interrogation.

"During interrogation, we do not treat Amrozi like an ordinary
criminal suspect. We serve him much better, so we are able to get
as much information from him as possible," said the detective.

"We don't use violence .... The interrogation of Amrozi is
like a dialog between him and investigators. We might hit a
suspect in a robbery case to force him or her to confess, but we
don't do that to Amrozi," he said.

The Post saw officers bring mineral water and food into a room
where Amrozi was being questioned by investigators on Friday
night for more than four hours, starting at 10 p.m.

He is not questioned every day, though. The timetable is
adjusted to schedules agreed upon by Amrozi's lawyers and
investigators.

The problem for journalists is that investigators and lawyers
refuse to speak to the press about the questioning.

The only source of news on Amrozi comes from Insp. Gen. I Made
Mangku Pastika, the head of the multinational inquiry team. And
he left for Jakarta on Saturday and will remain there for at
least a week. His spokesman, Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang, has
been in Jakarta since last week.