FBI once declared Agus Budiman clean
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Agus Budiman, an Indonesian charged with document fraud in the United States in connection with suspected terrorists, had once been declared "clean" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before officials with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) apprehended him on Oct. 30, according to his younger brother Faisal.
Faisal was quoted by Antara as saying the FBI had promised Agus that it would not take his minor immigration violation into serious consideration should Agus cooperate during questioning.
Faisal made the statements on Friday after attending his second hearing for Agus' crime of document fraud at the Virginia district court, a suburb of Washington DC.
Besides officials from the state government of Virginia, the hearing was also attended by journalists, staff members from the Indonesian embassy in Washington and Ivan Yakub, Agus' immigration lawyer.
Faisal claimed that the FBI had made the promise in one of the questioning sessions after two investigations in which he apparently answered all the questions. Agus was then declared "clean" by the FBI, he asserted.
However, on Oct. 30, Agus was summoned by the INS and since then he has been in custody for overstaying his visa and working illegally.
Currently Agus is being held at the Alexandria Detention Center after being transported from Hanover County Jail.
Acting Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S. Samudro Sriwidjaja said the embassy had applied for a permit to again visit Agus after the first visit on Nov. 8.
"According to my staff, Agus is in good condition. The most important thing is that Agus is able to carry out fasting," said Samudro.
Meanwhile, Agus was scheduled to appear at his second hearing on Friday for his crime of document fraud. But, the hearing was adjourned until Monday because Agus did not have a criminal lawyer. If he is unable to afford a lawyer, the state of Virginia will provide a public defender for Agus.
Agus attended his first hearing on Nov. 19 concerning his INS visa violations.
Concerning the document fraud, Agus was accused of helping Mohammad bin Nasser Belfas, one of the 370 people being accused of involvement in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, by lending his address to obtain an identity card and driver's license. Belfas had been detained earlier.
It was not clear what relationship Agus and Belfas had.
Meanwhile, coordinator of solidarity USA Yaser Bushaq said he would be ready to offer a lawyer to Agus should he want one.
Yaser said the accusation against Agus was "weird and pretentious" because there were many people that made mistakes in immigration matters, including lending addresses to other people.
"In America, there are millions of illegal people who violate work or stay permits. But why is Agus apprehended?
"Agus is apprehended because he is an Indonesian and a Muslim who has been linked to the terrorist network," he said.
He also criticized some elements of the American media which had conducted a trial by press, claiming that Agus had close links to Mohammed Atta, a Muslim suspected of hijacking one of the planes that smashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.