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.