KL Police question Bali bomb suspects

KL Police question Bali bomb suspects

I Wayan Juniartha and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post,
Denpasar/Jakarta

Malaysian Police chief Insp. Gen. Tan Sri Norian Mai met several
key suspects in the Bali bombings to determine if links exist
between them and Muslim militants arrested in Malaysia, as well
as to offer help in further investigations of the bombings.

Accompanied by Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Setyawan, Mai
interviewed Imam Samudra, the alleged mastermind of the Oct. 12
bombing, in his cell on Tuesday.

Mai later questioned three other suspects, Amrozi, Mukhlas and
Abdul Rauf, separately in their cells at Bali Police Headquarters
in Denpasar.

On Wednesday, another senior Malaysian Police officer, Dato
Ibrahim, also paid a visit to Samudra and Mukhlas, alias Ali
Gufron, the alleged operative chief of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).

The visits from the Malaysian Police came after the National
Police announced on Monday that they were searching for six more
suspects, including two Malaysians: Azhari Hussin and Noordin
Muhammad Top, the first foreign suspects named in the tragedy.

Mai declined to disclose what was discussed with the four
Indonesian suspects, but expressed confidence that the National
Police had in custody the real perpetrators of the Oct. 12
bombing.

He said the purpose of his visit to Bali was to gather
firsthand information on the deadly bombing and to know the
measures the police here have taken to stabilize security on the
resort island.

Asked whether he was convinced that the bombers were linked to
Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), Mai answered: "Is there any reason why I
should not believe it".

He also pledged on Tuesday to help the National Police
investigate the Bali bombing further.

"I had met with National Police chief (Gen. Da'i Bachtiar) on
Monday night, during which I expressed our willingness to provide
support and assistance to the Indonesian Police, since we have
arrested several suspects in Malaysia," he said.

"We have agreed to help each other in unraveling the case," he
added.

In Jakarta, Da'i confirmed on Tuesday that he had agreed with
Mai to exchange information and testimonies from Indonesian and
Malaysian suspects in the bombing and other terrorist attacks.

Da'i also said the National Police wanted the two Malaysian
suspects, Azhari and Noordin, arrested immediately in order to
quickly reveal more information behind the Bali tragedy.

Azhari, who is believed to have supplied the bomb-making
expertise, and Noordin, who is suspected of raising the funds to
finance the blast, have been placed on Malaysia's wanted list.

The two suspects are believed to have fled Malaysia for
neighboring countries and the Malaysian authorities have sought
Interpol's assistance in tracking them down.

Another Malaysian suspect, Wan Min, is being held by Malaysian
Police for allegedly transferring some US$30,000 to finance the
blasts.

Wan Min is suspected of being the treasurer of Jamaah
Islamiyah in its operations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

While all 15 suspects in custody are Indonesians, Malaysian
connections have been established to the devastating bomb attack
in Bali.

Jamaah Islamiyah is widely believed to be responsible for the
Kuta bombing, which has been the worst act of terrorism since the
Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

The National Police are also holding Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the
alleged spiritual leader of Jamaah Islamiyah, who lived in
Malaysia in the 1990s. He is accused of masterminding a string of
church bombings in 2000, but has not been named a suspect in the
Bali bombing.

Singapore has also arrested dozens of suspects that it says
are members of Jamaah Islamiyah.