House to summon Da'i over Ba'asyir terror probe

House to summon Da'i over Ba'asyir terror probe

P.C. Naommy, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives has arranged a hearing with National
Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar scheduled for early in May to
clarify the motives behind the probe into Muslim cleric Abu Bakar
Ba'asyir for his alleged role in terrorist activities.

"We want to know the police reasons for the investigation and
whether foreign pressure and intervention are behind the move,"
said Ibrahim Ambong, chairman of Commission I for defense and
foreign affairs.

The plan came after a visit by Reform faction members to the
Salemba Penitentiary on Friday in a show of support for the
cleric. Commission member A.M. Lutfi led the visit, the second by
politicians after Prosperous Justice Party Chairman Hidayat
Nurwahid a week before.

Deputy chairman of Commission II for legal and home affairs
Hamdan Zoelva told The Jakarta Post the commission was seeking a
separate hearing with Da'i for the same purpose.

"The police move has sparked suspicion in our society, because
it came as the cleric was about to leave prison," Hamdan, of the
Muslim-based Crescent Star Party, said.

The strong allegation of foreign intervention in Ba'asyir's
case emerged after Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif
admitted to the media that U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Ralph L.
Boyce had personally asked him to persuade Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and
Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan to keep Ba'asyir in
prison.

Boyce, however, denied allegations that he had intervened in
Indonesia's legal affairs, saying that it was a normal thing in
diplomacy to give an opinion or comment on a particular incident,
such as Ba'asyir's case.

Washington has expressed concern at the completion of
Ba'asyir's jail term on April 30, asserting that the Muslim
figure has deep involvement in terrorist activities.

Police are scheduled to interrogate Ba'asyir as a suspect at
the National Police Headquarters on Monday. Director VI for
Antiterrorism and Bombs Brig. Gen. Pranowo said the summons for
the cleric was sent on Thursday.

Pranowo said the terrorist suspect would be accompanied by his
lawyers during the interrogation.

He hinted the police could detain the cleric for investigation
in accordance with Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism.

The detention means Ba'asyir will not walk free when he
completes his 18-month jail term for immigration offenses and
document fraud.

According to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the draconian
antiterrorism law, investigators have the right to detain a
terrorist suspect for up to six months.

Akhmad Kholid, one of Ba'asyir's lawyers, said they were ready
to assist the cleric. However, he suspected that the police "are
seeking every avenue to keep Uztad (Ba'asyir) in jail".

Police named Ba'asyir on April 16 a terrorist suspect for his
alleged role in various bomb attacks that rocked the country over
the past few years.

The court had failed to prove accusations that Ba'asyir had
planned to overthrow the government or plotted to kill Megawati
Soekarnoputri when she was the vice president.