Quassey is no Egyptian: Embassy

Quassey is no Egyptian: Embassy

The Egyptian Embassy in Jakarta said on Tuesday that Abu
Quassey, whom the Indonesian police are currently questioning in
connection with people-smuggling activities to Australia, was not
one of its citizens, and had no connection with Egypt at all.

"We categorically deny the allegation," Talaat Lotfy,
counsellor and spokesman for the embassy, told The Jakarta Post.

"We consider the information baseless and groundless," Lotfy
said, adding that Indonesian authorities investigating the case
had already confirmed that his nationality was not Egyptian.

Meanwhile, National Police deputy spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr.
Prasetyo clarified the police's explanation of Quassey's
nationality. He said that the foreigner was Turkish and not
Egyptian.

"Quassey has confessed to being a Turk and we are still
waiting for confirmation from immigration and the embassy of his
status," Prasetyo said.

He admitted police had issued the statement based on
preliminary information and had not cross-checked it with any
related institutions in seeking to identify Quassey's
nationality.

The man police identified as Quassey, alias Abu Kazi, alias
Centin Kaya Nugun, was arrested in the West Java town of Bandung
last week.

Initial police reports suggested that he was the man who
headed a syndicate that arranged the smuggling of asylum seekers
of Middle Eastern and Central Asian origin from Indonesia to
Australia by sea.

His name and supposed Egyptian nationality came up several
times in Australian courts during the trials of asylum seekers
who had been apprehended for illegal entry. Canberra had also
asked Jakarta to apprehend the man and extradite him once he had
been arrested.

Some of the Iraqi asylum seekers who survived a boat accident
in which 350 people drowned off Java last month named Quassey as
the man who had organized their dangerous trip to Australia.

There has been no word since his arrest last week on whether
or not Australia had formally sought his extradition.

But Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Izha Mahendra
has told reporters that Indonesia would not extradite Quassey if
an application was forthcoming, because the bilateral extradition
treaty did not cover citizens from third countries.

He also made it clear that the refusal was in retaliation for
Australia's decision not to extradite an Indonesian businessman
who is wanted on corruption charges.

Lotfy said there were some 200 Egyptians living and working in
Indonesia today, including 100 ulemas from Cairo's Al Azhar
University.

"We are all doing good work in this country. We are all
friendly people," he said.

The unfounded allegation about Quassey's nationality "is
hurting the image of Egypt," he added.