Wanted man in Poso attacks captured
Wanted man in Poso attacks captured
The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi
Police said on Sunday they had arrested a man allegedly involved
in a series of bombings in the troubled town of Poso, Central
Sulawesi province.
The suspect, identified as Ahmad Ali -- a resident of Central
Sulawesi, was arrested on Thursday at a rented house in
Yogyakarta, where his wife is studying for a master's degree.
Ali was taken aboard a Lion Air plane amid a tight security on
Saturday to be flown to the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu for
further questioning.
He is being detained along with three other suspects including
Farid Podungge and Wagiman alias Papa Siti.
Outgoing Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Aryanto
Sutadi said Ali was believed to have played a key role in the
bombing of the offices of two non-governmental organizations in
Poso on April 28.
There were no injuries in the blasts at the offices of the
Poso Conflict Resolution Center (PRKP) and the Civilian People's
Empowerment Institute (LPMS).
Aryanto said that Ali masterminded the attacks as he helped
finance them and provided information on the targets of the
bombing.
The suspect admitted that the two NGO offices were attacked
for pursuing reconcilatory efforts in conflict-torn Poso and for
their active role in uncovering corruption cases linked to
humanitarian funds for victims of the conflict.
LPMS director Iskandar Lamuka had earlier confirmed that Ali
had once threatened his office, ordering the organization to stop
anticorruption activities in Poso.
Poso and its neighboring districts have been the scene of
intermittent fighting between Christians and Muslims that has
left more than 1,000 people dead since 2000.
The government brokered a peace deal in the area 2001 but
sporadic shootings and bombings have continued.
Aryanto said the police were also investigating Ali's role in
the bomb attack on a traditional market in Tentena district near
Poso on May 28, which killed 21 people.
"We will be developing the probe to that direction. But for
sure, Ahmad Ali is very much connected to this case," he said.
Before his arrest, Ali had been convicted by a court in Palu
of involvement in a drug abuse case and for threatening the local
branch of Bank Mandiri.
In the drug case, he received a four months' sentence in
addition to the six months he had to serve over the Mandiri case.
However, before being sent ever to prison, Ali had left for
Yogyakarta to visit his wife and children.
The suspect is a businessman and contractor who has dealt with
major projects in Central Sulawesi. He is also known as a low-
profile activist from a political party, with "broad
connections".
When the sectarian fighting broke out in Poso in 2000, Ali
played a role in establishing a jihad group in the town.