National

Police Are to Match The Suspects’ DNA
Saturday, 18 September, 2004 | 00:13 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The National Police are to match the sample of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) taken from the body of the bombing victims in Kuningan, Jakarta, on Thursday (09/09) with several people who are assumed to be their families. National Police chief of detectives Comm. Gen. Suyitno Landung said that the police had obtained three families as the DNA comparison.


“The DNA method will hopefully help us to find the connection and identify the real perpetrator of the bombing,” said Landung in Kuningan, Jakarta, on Monday (13/09).

According to Landung, the three families belong to three suspects who are now on the top list of East Java and Central Java’s search. These suspects are among nine people who are alleged to have been recruited by the alleged bombing mastermind Dr. Azahari.

Six of these nine people had been arrested by the police in the period of July-August 2004 for having allegedly been involved in terrorism crime and hidden two terrorist suspects.


Landung said that the police were yet able to identify whether or not the corpse had belonged to one, two or three people. “We need comparison sample from the suspects’ families,” he added. According to Landung, the police are reconstructing the victims’ bodies.

According to Landung, the police are also trying to identify the bombing perpetrator from the car this person had used in the bombing action. However, Landung said, the police were yet able to identify the last owner of the Daihatsu Zebra box van made in 1990 that was used to bring the bomb.

In Canberra, Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer said that the Australian government planned to move its embassy in Jakarta. According to Downer, the embassy that has been located on HR Rasuna Said street in Jakarta for 10 years is considered too small.

“It is also located on the busy area. This is too dangerous,” Downer said as quoted by Associated Press (AP). Downer is yet to reveal anything about the new location.

Australian government will also remove its consulate general in Bali to a safer place considering the possible uncertain condition.

Australian government also stated that it would increase the security of its embassies all over the world, including using windows and glasses that are bomb-resistant and increasing the strength of walls and fences as used in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta.

“Australian Embassy building in Jakarta has proven its resistance towards the bomb attacks,” said Australian Prime Minister John Howard to AP News Agency. (Martha Warta/Yophiandi/Ayu Cipta/Fajar WF-Koran Tempo)