The Jakarta Post, April 30, 2004
Police to hold Ba'asyir on suspicion of terrorism
P.C. Naommy, Jakarta
Police have dropped a clearer hint that they will not let Abu Bakar Ba'asyir walk free
due to his alleged involvement in terrorist activities in the country.
National Police Chief of Detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Soedjono said on
Thursday the police were currently preparing an arrest warrant for the cleric.
Ba'asyir will complete his 18-month prison term for immigration offenses and
document forgery on Friday.
According to Article 25, paragraph 2 of Law No. 15/2003 on antiterrorism, investigating
police have the right to detain a suspect for up to six months to facilitate interrogation
and accusation session.
Suyitno said police had sufficient evidence to indicate the cleric's role as the Amir
(leader) of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), a regional terrorist network blamed for the Bali
blasts in 2002 and last year's JW Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta.
A number of Muslim leaders, including the secretary general of the Indonesian
Ulemas Council, Din Syamsuddin, and chairman of the Muslim-based Prosperous
Justice Party, have pleaded for Ba'asyir's release.
Ba'asyir remained silent during questioning at Salemba Penitentiary on Wednesday
and even refused to sign the examination dossier, claiming the questioning was an
extension of U.S. intervention.
National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Basyir Barmawi said on Thursday the silence
and his refusal to cooperate during questioning was not a problem in the case.
"The interrogation file would only be a minor part of the whole evidence used in court.
We already have sufficient evidence, even to submit his case files to the prosecutor
for further legal action," said Basyir.
Police named evidence such as documents and testimony which said that Ba'asyir
had led an inauguration ceremony of a military training camp and also inspected the
troops during the ceremony at the Hudaibiyah military camp in Mindanao, the
Philippines on April 1, 2000.
"The JI's third semester report on JI's military training in Mindanao said Ba'asyir was
addressed as Syeikh Abdul Somad, alias Ba'asyir, the leader of JI," said Basyir.
Further evidence is a report mentioning the installation of Nasir Abas as the leader of
Mantiqi (a regional branch of JI) III in Solo, Central Java, in April 2002 by the cleric.
Basyir said according to JI's guidebook (PUPJI), only the Amir of Jamaah Al Islamiyah
has the authority to install a branch leader.
The police officer said the cleric's silence could be considered a stumbling block to
investigation.
"Ba'asyir can also be charged with obstructing a police investigation which would only
weaken his position in court," Basyir added.
Police declared Ba'asyir a terrorist suspect on April 16 and charged him under Article
14, 15, 17, and 18 of the antiterrorism law for his alleged role in a series of terror
attacks that rocked the country over the past few years.
Ba'asyir was indicted for treason, terrorism, document forgery and immigration
violations, but the court convicted him only for the last two offenses.
He has been detained since his forcible arrest by the police at the PKU
Muhammadiyah Hospital in the Central Java town of Surakarta on Oct. 28, 2002, two
weeks after the Bali bombing.
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