Alleged Central Java Terrorists Admit They Made Bombs

Two of the seven terror suspects arrested in Central Java last week have confessed to making bombs, their lawyer said on Sunday.

Antok, who is also known as Roki Apresdianto, and Arga made the admission during police questioning, their lawyer, Asluddin Hatjani, told the Jakarta Globe.

“The five others — Joko Lelono, Yudha, Agung Jati, Nugroho and Tri Budi — were involved in distributing the bombs to the target areas,” Asluddin added.

He said he was not aware of their reasons for targeting mosques in the attacks.

“My duty is only assist them,” he said. “My job is to make sure their rights are respected by police and they don’t get tortured. It’s not my duty to ask them about their motives.”

A police source said last week that Antok had told police that the attacks on mosques were intended to cleanse the houses of worship of local traditions that the group deemed blasphemous.

“I will also protect their right to certain privileges, since some of them are under 18,” Asluddin said. “But I have to check their birth certificates.”

He said the police were yet to formally declare them suspects but they still had three more days to investigate.

A senior antiterror police source previously said that Antok had connections to Sogir, a bomb maker who trained under explosives master Azahari Husin. Azahari was responsible for assembling the bombs that killed 202 people in the 2002 Bali attacks.

Last week it was revealed that three of the suspects — Arga, Joko Lelono and Yudha — were students at a state vocational school in Klaten, Central Java. Agung Jati, Nugroho and Tri Budi — were former students.

Another former student, Sigit Pramono, was also arrested but released last Wednesday because of a lack of evidence.

(with thanks to the Jak Pos)