Executive of American gas company suspected involved in bourse blast
Monday, October 2 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Police suspected an executive of an American company, which operates a gas business in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, was involved in the bomb blast at the Jakarta Stock Exchange that killed eleven people two weeks ago, Kontan tabloid said.
The tabloid in its latest edition published on Friday said the man, whom it did not identify, provided Rp 1.5 billion (US$1= Rp 8,825) for the bombers.
The man is a friend of the youngest son of former President Soeharto, Hutomo Mandala Putra a.k.a Tommy, according to the tabloid.
The police began suspecting the executive of the American company based on the information provided by Ibrahim Abdul Manaf, who was one of the 31 suspects arrested by the police on charges of bombing the bourse.
"There are indications (of his involvement). The name of the company was mentioned by Ibrahim," West Java police chief Yun Mulyana was quoted by the tabloid as saying.
The tabloid did name the American company but said it is a partner of state oil and gas company Pertamina.
Spokesman of Pertamina's foreign contractor management body (BPPKA) Sidick A. Nitikusuma told Petromindo.Com there is only one American company, which operates a gas business in Aceh that is ExxonMobil Indonesia.
The company operates gas fields in Arun, Pase, Lhok Sukon and North Sumatra Offshore areas and the liquefied natural gas (LNG ) producer Arun NGL co.
Sidick said Pertamina had yet to receive information from the police on the alleged involvement of the executive of ExxonMobil in the bombing of the bourse.
Sidick noted however that the GAM Aceh Independence Movement had often extorted money from the employees of the big companies operating in Lhok Semawe, including ExxonMobil, Arun, state fertilizer company PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda and paper producer PT Kraft Aceh.
The employees of the companies could do nothing but give the separatist group money for their and their families' safety.
"The targets of the GAM are mostly the Aceh natives who work for the companies. But they also ask for money from outsiders who work at the companies. They gave money to the group in private," Sidick said.
Sidick noted however Pertamina and ExxonMobil as institutions had never provided fund to the separatist movement. (Hans Bodega)