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| Sunday, 9 February 2003 |
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Singapore confirms identity of militant arrested in Indonesia SINGAPORE, Feb 8 (AFP) - Singapore's interior minister has confirmed that a man arrested by the Indonesian police is the suspected leader of the Singapore cell of the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a report said Saturday. Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng was quoted in the Straits Times as saying the man was Mas Selamat Kastari, wanted in the city-state for an alleged plot to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi Airport. "He is a citizen. He is a Singaporean. And definitely, he will be brought back to Singapore," Wong told reporters late Friday. Earlier in the week, officers from the home ministry interviewed Mas Selamat in the town of Tanjung Pinang in the Indonesian island of Bintan to determine his true identity. Indonesian police on February 2 arrested Mas Selamat in Bintan, which is less than an hour away by boat from Singapore. Mas Selamat fled Singapore last year following a crackdown on the JI. At least 31 JI members are being detained here for alleged plots to blow up US and other foreign targets and water pipelines. A White Paper on the terrorist threat in Southeast Asia released by Singapore last month identified Mas Selamat as the head of the JI's Singapore branch. Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa told AFP in Jakarta on Friday there were no plans to hand over Mas Selamat to Singapore because he was facing legal proceedings in Indonesia. The neighbours do not have an extradition treaty. Nevertheless, Indonesian Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Thursday that Jakarta could hand over Mas Selamat but Singapore must return the favour in future. "If a country has no extradition treaty, then deportation (is an option) but there should be a principle of reciprocity," Mahendra said. Indonesia's national police spokesman Didi Rohayadi also said Thursday Selamat could be handed over to Singapore if police could not charge him for crimes in Indonesia. |
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