Suspects confess to part in McDonald's attack: Police

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Terror suspect Agung Abdul Hamid, who was recently captured in Yogyakarta along with an accomplice Munir Saleh, confessed to playing a role in the 2002 McDonald's blast in Makassar, South Sulawesi, police said on Tuesday.

Agung alias Arifin, 36, and Munir alias Anshari, 27, were flown from Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport to Makassar at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday aboard a commercial flight for further questioning.

Yogyakarta Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi said that Agung admitted to having been involved in the Dec. 5, 2002 bombing of the McDonald's, which killed five people.

The alleged mastermind behind the blast was asked more than 50 questions during the interrogation at the Yogyakarta Police headquarters, which was conducted by an antiterror team from the South Sulawesi Police department.

"We have sent Agung and Munir to Makassar for further questioning," Endi said.

The suspects were taken from the Yogyakarta Police headquarters to the airport at noon, and alit their vehicles while repeatedly shouting Allahu abkar (Allah is great) as onlookers gathered around them.

Agung and Munir had long been wanted by police since the deadly bombing in December 2002, during Ramadhan, in Makassar. Agung reportedly fled with high explosives.

Endi said that Agung and Munir had been living in Yogyakarta for quite some time before they were arrested on Sunday.

"During his stay in Yogyakarta, Agung often moved from one place to another and went several times to Jakarta, Solo (Surakarta) and Surabaya. When we finally arrested him, there was no physical evidence confiscated," Endi added.

He said that Agung was disguised as an onion trader who moved from one town to another, while Munir acted as a used goods vendor at the Klithikan traditional market in Yogyakarta.

The National Police detectives believe there is a link between the Makassar and Bali bombings. Both attacks have been blamed on the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group.

The police were apparently still investigating whether Agung was part of JI and involved in other terror attacks throughout the country.