Suspects intended to plant bombs: Police
Suspects intended to plant bombs: Police
JAKARTA (JP): A map and documents found in a Tanah Tinggi
apartment, where an unfinished bomb exploded Sunday, indicated
that the three suspects intended to plant the explosives in the
capital, city police chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata said.
But Hamami stressed that the group had not had a chance to
carry out their plan before the homemade bomb accidentally
exploded, resulting in the arrest of one of the suspects.
"None of the bombs had been planted," Hamami told reporters
after a breaking of the fast gathering in East Jakarta on Monday
evening.
The two-star general refused to name the locations where the
group allegedly plotted to detonate the bombs.
"There's no need for people to know about the target
locations."
The blast Sunday evening in a cheap, rented apartment in
Central Jakarta, badly damaged the room and the ceiling of the
unit below.
No fatalities were reported. One of the suspects, identified
as Agus Priyono, who is in his 30s, was apprehended by other
residents. His two alleged accomplices were wounded but managed
to flee.
At least six boxes of detonators, dozens of unfinished
homemade bombs, a number of electronic devices, maps, a laptop
computer and some publications -- mostly about local riots and
international terrorism -- were confiscated as evidence.
According to city police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang, his
office was still investigating a possible connection between the
alleged bomb makers and the banned youth organization Democratic
People's Party (PRD).
"There's always a possibility that they were associated with
PRD," he said. "There's a similarity in the nuances of this
group's activities and PRD's. But that allegation has to be
proved. That's why we're now examining all documents found at the
scene."
On Monday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Wiranto and Central
Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna disclosed that the
blast was linked to an antiestablishment movement inspired by
PRD.
A police source explained yesterday that the bombs are less
sophisticated than those confiscated in other cases.
The officer, who did not want to be identified, said the
alleged bomb makers focused more on creating a large bang rather
than a dangerous explosion.
"The noise of the bang can hardly wound or kill people near
the bomb," he said. "In this case, you see that only the ceiling
of the room and a very small part of the wall were damaged and
the suspects were still okay.
"But it is still unclear whether the suspects planned to
create public chaos in the city with their homemade explosives."
According to Aritonang, the city police have started to comb
all possible places were the suspects may be hiding.
"We're also investigating the sources of the materials used by
the suspects, whether they got them locally or imported them from
overseas sources," he said.
The suspects were believed to have used potassium as the main
ingredient in their bombs.
Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. A. Wahab Mokodongan denied
allegations that the bomb explosion was "engineered" so that
members of the outlawed PRD could be accused of being involved.
"It's not true that Armed Forces Headquarters was behind the
bomb explosion," he told reporters last night.
A witness, housewife Marni, said she heard what sounded like
people "hitting something against the wall or floor". The noise,
which started in the morning, continued despite complaints to the
occupants of the room.
According to Mokodongan, the youths were part of the
antigovernment movement and were trying to disrupt national
stability.
"Their acts look like terrorism," he said.
The Armed Forces chief, he said, has ordered National Police
and Armed Forces Intelligence Agency (BIA) to find the two
suspects who are still at large. (cst/imn)