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.