Police to hold Ba'asyir on suspicion of terrorism

Police to hold Ba'asyir on suspicion of terrorism

P.C. Naommy, Jakarta

Police have dropped a clearer hint that they will not let Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir walk free due to his alleged involvement in
terrorist activities in the country.

National Police Chief of Detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
Soedjono said on Thursday the police were currently preparing an
arrest warrant for the cleric.

Ba'asyir will complete his 18-month prison term for
immigration offenses and document forgery on Friday.

According to Article 25, paragraph 2 of Law No. 15/2003 on
antiterrorism, investigating police have the right to detain a
suspect for up to six months to facilitate interrogation and
accusation session.

Suyitno said police had sufficient evidence to indicate the
cleric's role as the Amir (leader) of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), a
regional terrorist network blamed for the Bali blasts in 2002 and
last year's JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta.

A number of Muslim leaders, including the secretary general of
the Indonesian Ulemas Council, Din Syamsuddin, and chairman of
the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party, have pleaded for
Ba'asyir's release.

Ba'asyir remained silent during questioning at Salemba
Penitentiary on Wednesday and even refused to sign the
examination dossier, claiming the questioning was an extension of
U.S. intervention.

National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Basyir Barmawi said on
Thursday the silence and his refusal to cooperate during
questioning was not a problem in the case.

"The interrogation file would only be a minor part of the
whole evidence used in court. We already have sufficient
evidence, even to submit his case files to the prosecutor for
further legal action," said Basyir.

Police named evidence such as documents and testimony which
said that Ba'asyir had led an inauguration ceremony of a military
training camp and also inspected the troops during the ceremony
at the Hudaibiyah military camp in Mindanao, the Philippines on
April 1, 2000.

"The JI's third semester report on JI's military training in
Mindanao said Ba'asyir was addressed as Syeikh Abdul Somad, alias
Ba'asyir, the leader of JI," said Basyir.

Further evidence is a report mentioning the installation of
Nasir Abas as the leader of Mantiqi (a regional branch of JI) III
in Solo, Central Java, in April 2002 by the cleric.

Basyir said according to JI's guidebook (PUPJI), only the Amir
of Jamaah Al Islamiyah has the authority to install a branch
leader.

The police officer said the cleric's silence could be
considered a stumbling block to investigation.

"Ba'asyir can also be charged with obstructing a police
investigation which would only weaken his position in court,"
Basyir added.

Police declared Ba'asyir a terrorist suspect on April 16 and
charged him under Article 14, 15, 17, and 18 of the antiterrorism
law for his alleged role in a series of terror attacks that
rocked the country over the past few years.

Ba'asyir was indicted for treason, terrorism, document forgery
and immigration violations, but the court convicted him only for
the last two offenses.

He has been detained since his forcible arrest by the police
at the PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital in the Central Java town of
Surakarta on Oct. 28, 2002, two weeks after the Bali bombing.