Police expand Tentena bombing probe

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta

Police have expanded their manhunt into more areas of Central Sulawesi province to track down two people believed to be responsible for the market bombing in the predominantly Christian town of Tentena last week that killed 21 people, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

"After blockading an island in the Togean island chain, Tojo Una-Una regency, the police are now expanding their investigation into Morowali regency to hunt down the two most wanted suspects," said Sr. Comr. Tatang Somantri, the chief of the police team investigating the case.

Tatang said that as of Saturday, the police had named 18 suspects in connection with the bombing. Ten of the 18 are being questioned in Poso regency, while the rest are being questioned at Central Sulawesi Police headquarters, said Tatang.

Among the suspects are Has, the head of a penitentiary in Poso regency, whose office is thought to have been used to assemble the bombs used in the attack, said Tatang.

The police also are questioning witnesses in the case, said Tatang as quoted by Antara news agency.

While 44 witnesses had been questioned as of Wednesday, by Saturday police had completed questioning 32 more witnesses, said Tatang. "Based on the testimony of witnesses, there is the possibility more people will be named as suspects."

The National Police have devoted extraordinary attention to the high-profile case, the worst bombing in terms of the number of victims since the Bali attack three years ago that killed over 200 people, mostly foreign tourists.

There are fears the Tentena bombing could lead to a renewal of religious violence in Poso regency, so that the National Police have deployed generals and specialist personnel to assist in the investigation.

The motive behind the attack is still sketchy, but some activists and religious leaders believe the bombing was organized in order to draw attention away from a corruption case being investigated in the province.

The corruption case centers on the alleged misuse of funds meant for Poso refugees in the aftermath of sectarian conflict in the religiously divided regency in 2000. The case was brought to light when activists from the Institute for the Development of Legal Studies and Human Rights Advocacy alerted the media to the alleged corruption.

According to the NGO, many refugees complained that they never received the funds that had been promised by the government. The case was reported to the Central Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office and has been investigated, but the investigation was suspended because of a lack of evidence. Responding to this impasse, the NGO recently asked the Corruption Eradication Commission to pursue the case.

Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Alwi Shihab has also promised that his office will assist in the investigation of the corruption case.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Surakarta, Central Java, Alwi said he had instructed a director general in his office to help collect data and evidence in the case.

Back in the town of Tentena in Poso, which has been a flash point for sectarian violence in recent years, the situation remained tense on Saturday. Flags were still being flown at half- mast at government and private offices.