Routine bomb sweep at AG office

Routine bomb sweep at AG office

JAKARTA (JP): Following a series of bomb blasts and threats in
the capital recently, the Attorney General's Office initiated on
Tuesday a routine bomb sweep within the office compound, an
official said.

"I admit that state offices are easy targets for bomb threats
and terrorism. But that doesn't mean that the sweep is being
carried out in response to a threat," Acting Deputy Attorney
General for career development affairs Soeparman Ahmad told The
Jakarta Post at his office.

He said he had yet to decide how frequently his office would
hold a sweeping operation.

"It will likely be held monthly," he said.

As of Tuesday evening, a police bomb squad and the office's
security guards were still checking the compound, which is
located at the intersection of Jl. Sisingamangaraja in South
Jakarta.

A strong explosive device severely damaged a lavatory on the
ground floor of the office building of the Deputy Attorney
General for special crimes on July 4, an hour after former
president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra left. He
had appeared for questioning as a witness in his father's alleged
graft case.

Another bomb, which did not explode, was found in a lavatory
on the second floor of the same building. The bomb bore a
military code.

Separately, Deputy Attorney General for intelligence affairs
Lt. Gen. (ret) Yusuf Kartanegara told the Post that his office
had delegated the investigation of the bombing incident to the
police. (bby)