Police to quiz Fathur's father over blast

Police to quiz Fathur's father over blast

Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

East Java Police said on Wednesday it had evidence linking the
alleged Atrium Plaza bomber, Abas, alias Edi Sutiono, to the
father of alleged terrorist Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, an Indonesian
detained by Philippine authorities on terrorism charges.

East Java Police chief of detectives Wisnu Amat Sastro said
police intended to question M. Zainuri, a council member of the
Muslim-based Crescent and Star Party and father of Fathur, for
his possible links to Edi Sutiono.

"When we arrested Edi, we confiscated his cellphone and
printed out all the numbers Edi had called from his cellphone. At
least 28 calls were made to Zainuri's home in East Java," Wisnu
told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"The last call made from Edi's cellphone to Zainuri's home was
in June 2001, two months before the Atrium Plaza bombing... does
Edi know Zainuri or does Edi know Fathur? We will have to check."

Police plan to question Zainuri on March 11.

Authorities have identified two suspects in the Atrium Plaza
bomb attack on Aug. 1, 2001, Malaysian citizen Dani, alias Taufik
Abdullah, and Edi Setiono alias Abas. They reportedly belonged to
a mujahideen group based in Malaysia.

The bomb exploded before Dani could plant the bomb at Atrium
Plaza, Central Jakarta, injuring six people including Dani, whose
right leg had to be amputated. The bomb was allegedly intended
for a busload of Christians holding a religious gathering at the
Aston Hotel, which lies adjacent to the mall.

Zainuri's lawyer, Achmad Michdan, said on Wednesday that
Zainuri had no idea who Abas, alias Edi Sutiono, was, and had
never communicated with Abas on any occasion.

"I have advised my client to answer the police summons and
give whatever clarification he can give to the East Java Police
on March 11," Michdan told the Post.

Before arriving at the National Police on Wednesday to get
clarification on why he was summoned by the East Java Police,
Zainuri visited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to ask if the
ministry could finance his trip to the Philippines so that he
could meet his son.

"My client also wishes for the ministry to explore the
possibility of getting Fathur deported to Indonesia," Michdan
said. Philippine police detained Al-Ghozi in Manila on Jan. 15
just as he was about to leave for Bangkok.

His arrest led to the seizure of a large amount of explosives
that authorities believed was linked to a bomb plot in Singapore.