Former Lampung council speaker's son detained over bomb attacks
Former Lampung council speaker's son detained over bomb attacks
Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung
Chandra, 35, a son of Lampung Legislative Council's former
speaker Abbas Hadisunyoto was officially detained as a suspect on
Wednesday for his alleged role in recent terror attacks in the
provincial capital of Bandarlampung.
He was charged with involvement in the throwing of a bomb at
the education and training center of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on Jl. Sriwijaya, Bandarlampung, on
Tuesday morning.
The arrest of Chandra also came after the finding of another
bomb on Tuesday night on Jl. Cut Nyak Dien, near the home of
former council speaker Srie Atidah of the PDI-P faction.
The 50-centimeter bomb was discovered by two police officers
who were on patrol on Jl. Cut Nyak Dien. It was reportedly
defused by a bomb squad team.
However, Lampung Police chief Brig. Gen. M.D. Primanto
confirmed that Chandra has been interrogated since Tuesday
evening.
The device thrown at the PDI-P building was of a similar type
to the bomb that exploded outside the council building hours
before a revote was held there to elect a new governor, Primanto
said, pointing at a possible connection between the two
incidents.
It was a homemade bomb that fishermen usually use to catch
fish, Primanto explained.
He said Chandra was arrested after an eyewitness told police
investigators that Abbas' son was among those in the PDI-P
education and training center before the bomb was found.
Another witness said he saw a man riding a Yamaha RX King
motorcycle throw a bottle bomb at the PDI-P training center,
according to Primanto.
It failed to explode however, because the seal of the bottle
came off when it was thrown, he added.
Other senior police officers also refused to comment further
on the bomb incidents that appear to have been politically
motivated.
Chandra's father was among the 16 PDI-P councillors who were
dismissed by party leader President Megawati Soekarnoputri for
backing the election of Alzier Dianis Thabranie as the new
governor in December 2002.
Alzier defeated then incumbent governor Oemarsono who was
supported by Megawati. Earlier this year, Alzier was convicted
for graft by a district court in Lampung and Minister of Home
Affairs Hari Sabarno annulled his victory and ordered the council
to hold a revote.
On Monday, the council chaired by speaker Nurhasanah of the
PDI-P faction voted for Sjachroeddin Z.P. and Syamsuria Ryacudu
to replace Alzier, defying mounting opposition from parties and
student groups.
At least eight students have been on a hunger strike in
Bandarlampung since Tuesday night to protest the revote.