Police check with producers over TNT in Elize's bombs

JAKARTA (JP): The police are checking into the possibility that two sticks of TNT seized at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) on Friday came from weapons and ammunition manufacturer PT Pindad or explosives manufacturer PT Dahana.

"We are still checking the serial numbers with Pindad and Dahana ... they could have come from Dahana, but to be sure let the police check first with both manufacturers," Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaeman said at city police headquarters on Tuesday.

Elize, alias Baby, 33, was arrested at TMII on Friday morning in the possession of three bombs, which she carried in two bags. Two sticks of TNT were found in one of the bags.

One of the sticks of TNT, which came in a green-colored aluminum container, contain the words: "For Front Line Demolition Only. Not To Be Used For General Blasting. Do Not Use Underground Or In Enclosed Spaces Because of Dangerous Fumes. Equivalent to two 1/2 pound TNT Blocks Lot CC 84H716-004."

On the second stick of TNT, which also came in a green-colored aluminum container, appear the words: "1/4 Pound Max Lot Ecy 906 770-005."

During police questioning, Elize stated that she received the bombs from the fugitive son of former president Soeharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

Her police dossier states that Tommy also gave her three traveler's checks worth Rp 75 million last Sunday, two of which she cashed at the Jatinegara branch of Bank BNI, and the third at the Green Garden branch of Bank BNI.

East Jakarta Police's chief of detectives, Adj. Comr. Agus Irianto, said on Tuesday police were planning to dig up copies of Tommy's signature they have on file to compare them with the signatures on the traveler's checks.

"We already received copies of the traveler's checks from the concerned branches of Bank BNI. On Monday night, I spoke with the intelligence assistant to the National Police chief, Insp. Gen. Arsyad Mbai, and we were quite sure that the signatures are Tommy's," Agus, who led the operation that led to Elize's arrest, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"However, we need to have them checked with documented files of his signature to confirm this. We also believe that Elize is not lying about her relationship with Tommy."

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on Tuesday police had strong evidence that Elize has received Rp 150 million from Tommy biannually since 1997.

"In fact, the Timor sedan which she drives, with registration number B 1100 BN, was given to her by Tommy," Saleh said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the head of the central bank's legal affairs directorate, Sys Abadi, said on Tuesday the bank had received a letter from Attorney General Marzuki Darusman asking that all of Tommy's domestic bank accounts be blocked.

"The Attorney General's Office has asked for our cooperation in informing all national banks and foreign banks operating in the country to locate and block Tommy's bank accounts," Sys said at the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives, as quoted by Antara news agency.

"The letter is scheduled to be sent to all banks nationwide on Tuesday." (ylt)