Police release seven Palopo bomb suspects

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

All seven persons questioned over the Palopo bombing have been released as the police found no proof of their involvement in the incident, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

Sr. Comr. Andi Nurman Thahir, spokesperson for the South Sulawesi Police, said that they had to be released because they had strong alibis.

He said that the seven were questioned after the police found that they resembled the suspects' sketches made by police investigators.

"The police are authorized to summon and detain suspects for 24 hours for the purposes of the investigation. The police will set them free, if they (the police) find no proof of their involvement in an incident," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

The police are still intensively hunting for the perpetrators of the bombing in Palopo.

The bomb blast occurred late on Jan. 10 in a cafe in South Sulawesi province's regency of Palopo at about 10:30 p.m. local time.

Four people were killed in the incident and three others were injured.

Palopo Regency deputy police chief, Comr. Wisnu Widarto, recently said the bomb was believed to be a low explosive.