Police question man over Bali car bomb

Indonesian police were today interrogating a “possible suspect” linked to the van used in last month’s bombings in Bali that killed nearly 200 people.

Brig Gen Edward Aritonang, spokesman for an international inquiry team, identified the detainee only as Amrozi, and said he had been picked up in East Java on Tuesday and then flown to Bali.

“The investigation team is still questioning him. There are many things that have to be cross-checked and be studied thoroughly,” Aritonang said, adding that Amrozi was a “possible suspect”.

“He is connected to the vehicle used as a car bomb,” Aritonang said. He refused to elaborate.

Police have said the main bomb in the October 12 attack – consisting of between 110 to 220lbs of explosive – was placed inside a Mitsubishi L300 mini-van parked in front of one of the nightclubs.

Authorities have detained and questioned at least 20 people over the past two weeks because they resembled suspects depicted in three composite sketches released last week by police. Almost all were released without charges.

Today, police issued a sketch of a fourth suspect.

Despite the heightened pace of activity in recent days, police have refrained from claiming that the nationwide manhunt was making significant progress.

About 120 detectives and intelligence officers from Australia, the United States, Britain, Japan and other countries are working on the case with Indonesian investigators.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, the regional militant Islamic network Jemaah Islamiyah has emerged as the prime suspect.

Police have arrested Abu Bakar Bashir, Jemaah Islamiyah’s alleged spiritual leader, but he has not been declared a suspect in the Bali blasts.

Bashir is being held in a police hospital in Jakarta, and doctors say the 64-year-old cleric is too sick to be questioned. Bashir has denied any links with terrorists and says he will not co-operate with police.