The Jakarta Post, November 21, 2004
Two Poso men released, no link to terror bomb found
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu
The two men arrested on suspicion of involvement in the Pasar Sentral bomb attack in
Poso, Central Sulawesi on Nov. 13 were released on Friday night as police
investigators cited a lack of evidence to link them with the fatal attack.
Poso police chief Adj. Comr. Abdi Dharma Sitepu told The Jakarta Post on Saturday
evening that the two, identified only by their initials, N, 26, and K, 24, were released at
around 11 p.m. Friday evening.
Central Sulawesi police chief Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi, however, said on Saturday
evening that he was not aware of the release of the two.
"I have no knowledge about the latest developments of (their investigation)," Aryanto
told Antara.
At least six persons were killed and three others injured when a bomb exploded in a
public minivan near Poso's Pasar Sentral last Saturday, less than two weeks after a
minibus driver was shot dead and a Christian village chief was beheaded.
Poso police arrested N and K at their homes in Poso Kota district without any
resistance early on Friday morning. They also said that they were still searching for
another possible suspect identified as "I".
N is the son of a former legislator, and his parents had insisted that N, a university
student, was sleeping when the bomb exploded.
Meanwhile, police in Central Sulawesi began on Saturday a massive search for
firearms and explosives in Palu, Donggala and Poso.
With rifles at the ready, police searched every house and stopped motorists in the
three areas, where intermittent religious conflicts have killed thousands of civilians
since 2000.
According to Antara the raids were conducted by joint teams of police and intelligence
agents, with backing from 400 Army soldiers.
"This is a preventive effort to reduce the violence in the province as ... religious
violence continues to claim innocent lives," Central Sulawesi police spokesman Adj.
Comr. Sr. Rais Adam was quoted by Antara as saying.
He said police set no deadline to end random raids for arms and explosives across
the province.
"We have called on the people repeatedly to give up their weapons, so we will not
hesitate to punish them if they still have weapons," Rais said.
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