Laksamana.Net, November 16, 2001 09:51 AM
Bomb Owner Linked To Fuad Bawazier
Laksamana.Net - A man caught red-handed with several home-made bombs at a
Jakarta hotel has told police he planned to use the explosives to "protect”
controversial former finance minister Fuad Bawazier from demonstrations staged by
pro-democracy activists, a report said Thursday (15/11/2001).
Detikcom said the suspect, Kesman, had been nabbed Hotel Mega on Jalan
Proklamasi, Central Jakarta. The report did not give the date of the arrest.
Jakarta Police chief Sofjan Jacob said Kesman underwent several days of intensive
interrogation at city police headquarters.
The suspect told police he had been recruited by Fuad Bawazier to protect the former
minister when ex-president Abdurrahman Wahid was still in power.
Bawazier, who was finance minister in former president Suharto’s short-lived final
cabinet, reportedly felt threatened following anti-corruption demonstrations that took
place earlier this year outside two of his residences – in Menteng, Central Jakarta,
and Cilacap, Central Java.
On March 19, 2001, about 100 students showed up at his Menteng house and sealed
it off with chains and padlocks. The students said their action was done on behalf of
the public because the house had been constructed with money obtained by
corruption and embezzlement.
Bawazier had also served as director general of the tax office under Suharto and
allegedly gave sweet deals to the former strongman’s affluent children.
The student demonstrators in Menteng distributed leaflets to passers-by and an open
letter addressed to "Mr. FU”, as Fuad Bawazier is known in some circles.
"Your Excellency, Mr. Corrupter,” went the letter,” we know that you can ‘buy’
Indonesian law, and are able to ‘wrap up’ your corruption using some fancy logic.
But we also hope Your Excellency also knows that many people are starving, and
unable to buy food for themselves, their wives and children.”
On May 20, 2001, hundreds of students from various universities sealed Bawazier’s
house in Cilacap. The protesters, grouped in the Indonesian Islamic Students
Association (PMII), were from various towns in the area such as Purwokerto and
Wonosobo.
The Jakarta Police chief said Kesman had claimed Bawazier feared the left-wing
People’s Democratic Party (PRD) would stage similar demonstrations outside his
houses. Therefore Kesman was hired to ensure that such rallies would not take place.
Exactly what he planned to do with the bombs in order to prevent anti-Bawazier
protests was not clear.
Following the fall of Wahid on July 23, 2001, it was decided there were unlikely to be
any more demonstrations at Bawazier’s house, said Jacob.
Kesman had planned to take the bombs to Bawazier’s house in Bekasi, west of
Jakarta, but he was afraid of being stopped at roadblocks by police looking for
narcotics.
In the end, Kesman showed up at Hotel Mega to "store” the bombs, said Jacob.
"So in light of all this information, we won’t rule out the possibility of Fuad Bawazier
being questioned,” he said.
Jacob said that in addition to working for Bawazier, Kesman is also allegedly
connected to Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) head I Gede Putu Ari
Suta.
"We will investigate and also ask for information from him [Ari Suta],” said the police
chief.
Bawazier, who attended an infamous pro-jihad gathering of about 100,000 militants at
Jakarta’s National Monument (Monas) Park in January 2000, has often been
accused of funding the holy war against Christians in Maluku and North Maluku
provinces. Analysts say his aim in allegedly funding the unrest was to discredit the
administration of Wahid.
Bawazier is currently a member of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and has a seat
in the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR).
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