Sketches of bomber released
Damar Harsanto and Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police have moved quickly in their investigation into the bombing of the JW Marriott Hotel by releasing three composite sketches of the man who purchased the 1986 metallic blue Toyota Kijang minivan used in Tuesday's outrage.
National Police detectives' chief Insp. Gen. Erwin Mapasseng told the press that the sketches were made based on the description given by the van's former owner.
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar had said after the bombing that police had found the minivan's license plates, engine and chassis number.
These led police to the former owner of the van, Sonny, a resident of Jl. Cempaka in Cibubur, East Jakarta.
As in the case of last year's Bali bombings, the minivan's chassis number had been erased by grinding. The police, however, were able to ascertain it using special forensic techniques.
"He (Sonny) just sold the 1986 Toyota Kijang minivan two weeks ago ... Unfortunately, he failed to identify the buyer or his address. Even the buyer's name is not on the receipt," Erwin said, adding that Sony had sold the car for only Rp 26 million (US$3,006).
The police sketches show the wanted man to be around 160 centimeters in height, with dowdy hair, rather hunched in appearance, and with no moustache or beard. He is estimated to be around 30 years old and is suspected of being from Lampung.
Earlier on Wednesday, Da'i said the device used in the bombing contained a mixture of low explosives, and the high explosives RDX, HMX and TNT.
Similar materials were used in the Bali bombings on Oct. 12, 2002. A total of 202 people, mostly Western holidaymakers, were killed in the tragedy while around 300 other people were injured.
Traces of the same materials were also found in front of the residence of the Philippines' Ambassador Leonides T. Caday, which was hit by a bomb blast on Aug. 1, 2000. Two people were killed while 21 others were injured in that explosion.
Police believed that Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), officially listed by the United Nations as a regional terrorist network, was behind these bombings.
One of the Bali bombing suspects, Amrozi, is expected to hear whether he has been convicted or acquitted by the court on Thursday in Denpasar, Bali.
Da'i said that the bomb was also surrounded by four jerrycans containing gasoline so as to create a fireball effect.
"One of the jerrycans was blown by the blast into Plaza Mutiara, where it exploded. The police found six bodies there," said Erwin.
He also said that the explosives used in the bombing were similar to those seized earlier by police in Semarang from suspected JI members.
Forensic experts were still calculating the total amount of explosives used in the Marriott bombing.
Erwin said the device had been detonated using a cell phone. However, he did not say how this squared up with the earlier statement by police saying it was a suicide bombing.
The bomb had been placed behind the steering wheel, he said.
Police also found various body parts near the epicenter of the blast, and a severed head which was blown by the bomb up to the third floor.
"We have obtained a complete set of fingerprints but found nothing to match them in our databank. We are still reconstructing the severed head to try to get some idea of who the person was," Erwin said.
Regarding the various figures bandied about regarding the number of fatalities, police officially announced that 10 people had died, including the bomber, while 149 other people were injured.
Erwin was surprised to learn about the report carried by Singaporean daily The Strait Times, saying that JI had claimed responsibility for the bombing.
"Despite this report, we are concentrating our investigation for the moment at the scene of the crime and will act based on the statements taken from witnesses at the scene. Then, we will check out the accuracy of the report," he said.
The National Police are receiving support from the Australian Federal Police, Interpol in Lyon, France, the United States and from neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore.
"They have offered help as terrorism is an international problem," Erwin said.
Following the bombing, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has also beefed up security by deploying over 1,000 security personnel, comprising 670 security guards, 300 police officers and 100 Indonesian Air Force personnel.
"PT Angkasa Pura (the airport operator) has also hired an additional 367 security guards ... We have taken these measure in the light of the instructions from the Jakarta Police and the coordinating minister for political and security affairs," said Risman Nuryadi, PT Angkasa Pura II manager at Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
THE JAKARTA POST -- THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2003 -- PAGE 1