Police search SIRA offices for evidence

Police search SIRA offices for evidence

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police raided three offices of the Aceh
Referendum Information Center (SIRA) on Monday night in
connection with last Thursday's bombing in South Jakarta, which
claimed three lives.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam told reporters
on Tuesday that they also confiscated evidence from offices in
Taman Mini in East Jakarta, Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta and
Bogor.

"The evidence could have been used by SIRA activists, linked
to the Guntur bombing in South Jakarta."

A non-governmental organization based in Aceh, SIRA has been
known for its support of the province's independence. It had
organized a mass rally last November to call for a referendum on
independence.

"In any case, we were not looking for Faisal Syaifuddin (SIRA
Jakarta coordinator). We have summoned him to show up at Jakarta
Police this Thursday for questioning. We were looking for
evidence, and there was a hope that we might find Diana there,"
Anton told reporters.

Diana is reportedly one of two SIRA activists, who according
to police played a large role in the Guntur bombing. Both Diana
and the other suspect, Gafi, are still at large.

The suspects allegedly assembled the bombs to be placed at
certain locations on May 12 in order to create social unrest, the
same day the 1998 deaths of four students were being
commemorated.

National Police sources said the primary suspect, Taufik
Abdullah, admitted to having received specific instructions from
Gafi at least five days prior to the bombing, to blow up several
places in Jakarta if military soldiers were sent to Aceh.

Another police source said one of the men who died in the
blast, Kardu alias Du alias Abu, was the "bomb-assembler" who had
been called by Gafi to come to Jakarta, to make bombs.

SIRA's Jakarta chapter has denied its alleged role in
Thursday's bombing, noting that SIRA always pursued non-violence
activities.

Faisal Syaifuddin then demanded the police and military
apologize for their baseless accusation.

He also lamented the police investigation into the bombing, in
which witnesses were not allowed to be accompanied by lawyers,
and where the principle of the presumption of innocence was not
upheld.

"The police should restore our (good) name and hold a
transparent investigation," Faisal said.

Meanwhile SIRA chairman Muhammad Nazar told reporters in Banda
Aceh, capital of Aceh province, on Tuesday that his office in
Banda Aceh was attacked and the telephone connection cut off by
the police mobile brigade (Brimob). A big SIRA banner was also
removed from the office, he said. (ylt/50)