Police release alleged JI-linked militant

Police release alleged JI-linked militant

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police released on Wednesday an activist and alleged member of
the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group after detaining him for
two days on charges of falsifying documents.

Dutch citizen Abdul Wahid Kadungga carried a Tangerang ID card
when he was arrested on Monday. Although reportedly linked to JI,
police said his arrest was not connected to the series of
bombings it believes were the work of the organization.

"My only crime is that I have a Jakarta ID card," Kadungga was
quoted as saying by El Shinta radio.

He was charged with violating Article 263 of the Criminal Code
on document falsification. The article carries a maximum penalty
of six years in prison.

Police earlier said Kadungga entered Indonesia in 1999 holding
a Dutch passport but was later caught carrying an ID card issued
in Tangerang, Banten.

Police have not found any evidence linking Kadungga to the
Bali bombings or tying him to the JI terrorist group.

Following the Dec. 4 bombing of a McDonald's outlet in
Makassar, South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan Police detained
Kadungga over his possible connection to the bombing, as well as
the bombings in Bali.

They released him after two days on Friday last week. The
decision to let him walk free led to some public debate until
Kadungga was re-detained on Monday.

A report by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group
(ICG) says Kadungga is a supporter of the detained Muslim cleric
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, JI's alleged spiritual leader.

Police arrested Ba'asyir over a wave of church bombings in
2000, which it believes were the work of JI. The underground
group reportedly aims to create a Southeast Asian Islamic state
and is known to have bases in Singapore and Malaysia.

Ba'asyir and Kadungga were among the many Muslim activists who
fled former president Soeharto's crackdown on Islamic movements
during the '80s.

Kadungga gained Dutch citizenship in 1991 and returned to
Indonesia in 1999, a year after Soeharto fell from power.

ICG said Kadungga "was believed to have had direct links with
al-Qaeda through his ties to the Egyptian-led Gama Islami".

Gama Islami, it said, was made up of a core group of bin
Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Kadungga is also suspected of having links with the Makassar-
based Committee for Upholding Islamic Law, according to the ICG.

He denied having any links to terrorist groups, although he
admitted to knowing Ba'asyir.

Police have arrested 15 suspects in connection with the Bali
bombings and is searching for 11 more. Charges against the 15 are
being prepared so that they can stand trial by February.

Attorney General M.A. Rachman said on Wednesday his office
would work at full speed to ensure the trials began by February.

"Because of the importance of these cases ... we are sending
five prosecutors from our head office in Jakarta to help,"
Rachman said as quoted by Reuters.