Police believe they have arrested a terror suspect who was behind the May 2005 bombing of Tentena's central market in Central Sulawesi. (SP File Photo)

Indonesian Terror Unit Nabs Poso Bombing Suspect

Counterterrorism squad Densus 88 arrested a man in Sidoarjo, East Java, this week for alleged involvement in bomb attacks and the murder of a priest in Central Sulawesi.

The suspect, identified as Eko Budi Wardoyo, was allegedly part of an Islamic terrorist network in and around Poso. “The suspect was arrested in Sidoarjo two days ago,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang told TV One on Friday.

Edward said police believed the suspect had been involved in a number of terror activities in Poso, including a bomb attack in Tentena, the murder of priest Susianti Tinulele and a jewelry store heist. He said Eko, also known as Musnih, was responsible for the bomb attack at Tentena’s central market in May 2005

“The bomb blast killed 22 people and wounded 93 people,” he said, adding that the suspect was still undergoing intensive interrogation by Densus 88. Edward said he could not reveal more details about the arrest until investigations were completed.

In a separate development, police and prosecutors are currently readying cases against as many as 50 suspected militants for roles ranging from involvement in last year’s Jakarta hotel bombings to harboring slain militant Noordin M Top.

Prosecutors have completed preparing charges against 44 suspects while the rest are still being investigated by the police, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Among the suspects are Muhammad Jibriel Abdul Rahman and Saudi national Al Khelaiw Ali Abdullah, who are accused of raising funds overseas for the July 17 twin bombings at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels. Amir Abdillah has been accused of providing potassium and sulphur to build the explosives for the hotel attacks and for harboring Noordin.

Supono alias Kedu and Rohmat Puji Prabowo alias Bejo, are also accused of sheltering Noordin, who was killed in a police raid in Central Java last year, said Totok Bambang, a district prosecutor from the South Jakarta office.

Supono and Rohmat also allegedly prepared explosives in an attempt to attack a convoy escorting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“The explosives were loaded into a minivan. Police found them during a raid in Jatiasih, Bekasi,” Totok told the Jakarta Globe.
The two have been charged under the country’s strict 2003 antiterror law that carries the maximum sentence of death.

Police have said they found 500 kilograms of explosives in the house raided in Bekasi and a van parked in the front yard. During the operation, police killed two suspected militants, Air Setiawan and Eko Joko Sarjono, who had been tracked there from Solo by the antiterror unit.

The list of suspects also includes Putri Munawaroh, a then-pregnant woman who was found in the Solo house where Noordin and other suspected militants were killed in a shootout with authorities.