Key bomb suspect abroad: Police
Key bomb suspect abroad: Police
JAKARTA (JP): A prime suspect in the Christmas Eve bomb
attacks who is at large is strongly suspected to have fled to
Saudi Arabia, a top police official said.
National Police chief of detectives Insp. Gen. Engkesman
Hillep said on Tuesday that National Police detectives had spent
weeks working with the Malaysian Police, hunting for the suspect,
identified only as Hambali.
"Our detectives returned from Malaysia late last week, with
news that Hambali is strongly suspected to be in Saudi Arabia.
Sources claim that Hambali could have gone there for his Haj
Pilgrimage," Engkesman told reporters after a meeting with
legislators from House Commission I of Security, Defense and
Foreign Affairs, on security concerns and police affairs.
"Hambali's a key suspect, because police have testimonies from
other suspects that he funded some of the bomb attacks."
A total of 19 people were killed in the bomb attacks which hit
several major cities nationwide on Christmas Eve.
"Both Malaysian Police and Indonesian Police have yet to
determine if Hambali is an Indonesian or Malaysian citizen. What
we know is that his contacts in Jakarta were suspects originally
based in Garut and Bandung, West Java," Engkesman said.
Engkesman was referring to four of the 22 bombers captured
over the bombings, namely Haji Aceng Suhari, Iqbal, Roni Miliar
and Agus Kurniawan of West Java.
He denied that police had any clues which could lead to the
Army's involvement in the bomb attacks.
"I have not received any such police report which mentions the
involvement of the Army in the bomb attacks," Engkesman said.
Police earlier arrested eight suspects in connection with the
Christmas Eve bomb attacks, but reiterated the absence of clues
that could lead to the Army's involvement.
Elize
At the Tuesday meeting with Commission I, National Police
Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro also spoke of suspect Elize Maria
Tuwahatu, who has repeatedly confused Jakarta Police detectives
with her attempts to deny several things she had earlier told
questioning officers.
Elize, who was arrested for possession of three bombs at the
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah recreation park in East Jakarta on
Jan. 19, had earlier made headline news when she told police that
it was Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra who gave her the bombs.
"Elize is trying to play with the police, via her lawyer M.
Bugis. In any case, she has already signed her dossiers, in which
she has stated that it was Tommy who gave her the bombs," Suroyo
told the House Commission.
"The police are still trying to find material evidence which
will back up her statement to the police that it was Tommy who
gave her the bombs, but that will take time." (ylt)