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.