Two Bali bombing suspects mislead police

Two Bali bombing suspects mislead police

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Two key suspects in the Bali bombing gave investigators "false
statements", police said on Wednesday after finding new evidence
contradicting the suspects' statements.

The new discoveries include a rented house in Denpasar where
suspects allegedly built the bombs used in the attacks, and the
route on which they carried the explosive materials from
Surabaya, East Java, to Bali.

This new information followed the interrogation of another
bombing suspect, Ali Imron, who police arrested last week, said
the police spokesman for the team investigating the bombings, Sr.
Comr. Zainuri Lubis.

He said Ali's statement contradicted those made by Amrozi and
Abdul Azis, alias Imam Samudra. Both men are key suspects in the
Oct. 12 Bali bombings, in which more than 190 people, mainly
foreign tourists, were killed.

The two suspects will need to be requestioned, Zainuri said,
which likely will cause a delay in turning over Amrozi's dossiers
to prosecutors for his trial.

"We have to do this because Imam Samudra and Amrozi are
withholding a lot of information. We found out many things after
we captured Ali Imron," he said.

He said Ali's confession had led police to a rented house in
Denpasar where the suspects allegedly built the bombs.

Police found chemical residue inside the house but still have
not identified the exact chemicals.

Confirming Ali's statement that the suspects had tested the
explosives they used in the bombs, neighbors told police they had
heard a loud noise coming from the direction of the house.

Ali said they had told the neighbors the noise was caused by
an electricity problem at the house.

The house in which the suspects allegedly built the bombs is
located on Jl. Pulau Menjangan, about 200 meters from Sanglah
Hospital where hundreds of victims were treated after the blasts.

Neither Samudra nor Amrozi mentioned anything about the rented
house, Zainuri said.

He said the two also misled police about the route they used
to bring the explosive materials to Bali.

"According to Ali Imron, the chemicals were transported by sea
using the Ketapang-Gilimanuk ferry service.

"While Imam Samudra claimed the materials were delivered via
post," Zainuri said.

He did not say whether police had confirmed Ali's version.

The contradicting statements could cast doubt over the police
previous findings, much of which relies on suspects' confessions.

So far police have arrested at least 30 suspects in the
bombings, five of whom, including Amrozi and Samudra, are prime
suspects.

But as new questions emerge over the statements of some of the
suspects, the police might have to delay bringing the case to
court. This could delay the start of the Bali bombing trial,
which was to begin next month with the trial of Amrozi.

Zainuri said the police planned to submit Amrozi's dossier to
state prosecutors next week or Friday of this week at the
earliest.