Embassy considers bailing out Indonesians
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesian Embassy officials in Manila are discussing the possibility of paying US$4,000 to secure bail bonds for three Indonesian nationals arrested in the Philippines, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday.
Agus Dwikarna, Tamsil Linrung and Abdul Jamal Balfas were taken into custody at Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila on Sunday for possession of components to make a C4 bomb, one of the most powerful of all military explosives, an allegation which has been denied by the three Indonesians.
"We are studying the pros and cons of getting the men bailed out of jail. We are also discussing this with the arrested men," Hassan told reporters at the State Palace on Wednesday.
The bail will not grant the men immunity for their alleged crimes, or allow them to leave the Philippines. They would only be permitted to stay outside the penitentiary pending legal action, Hassan said.
"I have instructed our embassy officials to investigate the matter, and to try and find out whether the bomb-making material really belonged to the men ... and whether these men were present when their luggage was being inspected," Hassan said.
Hassan's remarks were clear indications that he harbored suspicions that the parts could conceivably have been planted in the men's luggage without their knowledge or consent.
The three Indonesians reportedly told Philippine police investigators that they came to the country at the request of a Thai businessman who was running a coal mining operation.
National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said that National police detectives and Indonesian intelligence officials were scheduled to leave for the Philippines on Thursday for a one-week visit.
He had said earlier that Indonesian police needed to speak with the three men to find out how they ended with having bomb- making components inside their luggage.
The police will also explore the possibility of ties between the three men and another Indonesian, explosives expert Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, who remains in detention after his arrest in Manila this January.
Philippine police have said that the four Indonesians are members of the alleged al-Qaeda-linked group, Jemaah Islamiyah.
Agus is also known as a member of the advisory board of the Committee for the Preparation of the Enforcement of Islamic Sharia (KPPSI) in South Sulawesi.
In Makassar, senior members of the KPPSI met on Wednesday with South Sulawesi Governor HZB Palaguna and South Sulawesi councillor Edy Baramuli demanding that they vouch for Agus and Tamsil as being good Indonesian citizens.
After the meeting, Palaguna said that not only did he welcome the visitors, but that he personally knew both Agus and Tamsil were "good Indonesian citizens."
"I will make sure to speak with concerned institutions on Thursday, on the possible deportation of the three men," Palaguna told reporters.
KPPSI executive member Azwar Hassan told reporters that he was also trying to contact South Sulawesi Police Chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani to convey Agus' message to Azwar that all three arrested Indonesians did not know how the bomb-making components were placed in their luggage.
Former defense minister Juwono Sudarsono, meanwhile, supported the government's move to provide the arrested Indonesian with legal assistance.
The effort, he said, would protect the legal rights of the Indonesians, while helping to solve the case. "Clear evidence must be sought to prove whether or not the three Indonesians are terrorists," he said on Tuesday.
He added that terrorism was universal, and should not be linked solely to one particular religion.