Jusuf Wanandi meets authorities' summons

JAKARTA (JP): Jusuf Wanandi was questioned for almost five hours by the city branch of the Agency for the Coordinating of Support for National Stability (Bakorstanasda Jaya) yesterday, in connection with an explosion in a cheap apartment in Tanah Tinggi last month.

Jusuf, who's brother Sofjan Wanandi has twice been interviewed about the same incident, was questioned by a team of Bakorstanasda Jaya officers at the Jakarta Military Police headquarters on Jl. Guntur, South Jakarta, from 9 a.m to 2 p.m, without a lawyer present.

Bakorstanasda Jaya spokesman Lt. Col. DJ. Nachrowi told reporters that Jusuf said he was not acquainted with any of the suspects in the case and denied any role in the blast.

As with his brother, Sofjan and Media Indonesia general manager Surya Paloh, who has also been questioned, Jusuf was summoned by security authorities following discovery of documents suggesting he provided financial support to those suspected of causing the explosion.

"He looked fine when we showed him the documents," Nachrowi, who is also spokesman for the Jakarta Military Command, said.

Both Jusuf and Sofjan are executives of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think-thank research group.

According to Nachrowi, Jusuf has promised to help the authorities investigate the case and will give himself up if officers prove his involvement.

The hand-made bomb, which was not very powerful, exploded on the evening of Sunday Jan. 18 at a rented room in the Tanah Tinggi apartment. There were no fatalities, but part of the ceiling of the room was badly damaged.

Police so far have detained two men, identified as Agus Priono and Rahmat Basuki, for illegally making and possessing the bomb. Agus was caught by his neighbors at the scene and Rahmat was arrested in Yogyakarta on Jan. 31.

The two have claimed themselves to be sympathizers of the outlawed People's Democratic Party (PRD).

PRD's chairman Budiman Sudjatmiko, currently serving a 13 years prison sentence, was questioned on Wednesday. He denied that the two suspects were members of his party, his lawyers said in a statement.

The documents found at the scene of the explosion are also believed to contain the names of other people, not yet made public by the authorities.

Nachrowi denied yesterday that the questioning of the three figures was orchestrated by the military. The investigation into the bomb blast will without any deadline, he added. (jun)