Wed, 26 Feb 2003

Police submit Slamet's dossier to prosecutors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police in Riau province said on Tuesday they had submitted the case file of Mas Slamet bin Kastari, the alleged leader of Singapore's Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group, to prosecutors in the provincial capital of Pekanbaru.

"The dossier of Mas Slamet was presented to the Riau Prosecutor's Office last week along with those of five other suspects," Riau Police chief Brig. Gen. Deddy Sutardi Komaruddin told Antara in Pekanbaru.

He did not give the exact date, nor was it immediately clear when the trial for the suspect would begin.

Slamet, who is on Singapore's wanted list, of people accused of plotting terrorist attacks in the neighboring state island, was arrested earlier this month by police in the Riau town of Tanjung Pinang.

He was flown last week from Tanjung Pinang to Pekanbaru for further interrogation, while police there drafted his dossier.

The Indonesian government refused to hand over the suspect to Singapore due to the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries.

JI has been linked with the Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people and injured some 300 others, mostly foreigners, last October.

However, Deddy said the Riau police charged Slamet with breaching immigration regulations as the suspect held a fake passport.

"We charge him with violating the immigration law. About his alleged involvement in the Bali attacks and a plot to hijack a plane in Singapore, we haven't touched these issues," he added.

The police also arrested Slamet's wife on similar charges.

Deddy said Slamet confessed to the charges that he forged passports and other travel documents.

Deddy also said the Singapore government had expressed gratitude to the Indonesian police for the arrest of Slamet, who has long been wanted by police in the neighboring country.

"I was invited to Singapore yesterday (Monday) and they thanked us because we managed to capture Mas Slamet," he said.

Deddy said that during his meeting with Singapore police, they did not reiterate their demand for the extradition of the suspect.