Sketches of bomber released

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