Consistency sought in police statements on hotel bombing
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Conflicting statements made by police officials regarding the progress of the JW Marriott Hotel bombing investigation have received different responses from experts.
Eko Dahana, a police observer and a University of Indonesia lecturer, said on Saturday that police tended to make conflicting statements, particularly in big cases, due to the officials' various interests in the investigation.
"The information (over the development of the investigation) circulates among them very rapidly, and they are in a race to unveil the latest information to win public popularity, which is necessary for their promotion," said Eko.
UI Criminologist Erlangga Masdiana said the conflicting statements simply reflected poor coordination among police.
"Police must be more unified in conveying information on the progress of the investigation to the public ... Otherwise, they could mislead the public," he said.
The situation was different when a chief investigator was appointed in the Bali bombings, which left 202 people dead last year. Most information was delivered by Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika, which limited conflicting details.
Erlangga called on police to adopt a similar policy in the Marriott bombing investigation.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar complained on Friday that information leaked by police sources had resulted in the escape of suspects being tailed by police.
Da'i also dismissed previous statements made by his subordinates, including Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara and other senior police officers.
The statement was about the arrest of suspects Thohir and Jabir, who have been on the police wanted list for their alleged involvement in the deadly bombing. The bomb exploded in the hotel's driveway and killed 12 people, mostly Indonesian security guards and taxi drivers, and injured 147 others.
Da'i had also previously made contradictory statements on the existence of elite fighters belonging to the regional terrorist network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), who is believed to be behind the bombing, with National Police criminal investigation chief Comr. Gen. Erwin Mappaseng.
I-box Different statements made by police officials or sources
1. Police officials said they had arrested Tohir, a suspected bomber, in Padang, West Sumatra. The information was denied by another top official.
2. Police said JI had more than 300 fighters who were well- trained in war tactics, including in the use of explosives and other weapons. The statement was again denied.
3. Police said that a severed head of the suspected bomber, Asmar Latin Sani, 28, was found at the hotel's second floor. But, a source said it was at the third floor, then on the fourth floor. Some even said it was on the seventh floor.
4. Police said they found no significant clues from the data recorded in the hotel's closed circuit television (CCTV), but police sources said the CCTV had managed to capture profiles of the suspected bombers.
Source: media reports