Bayshir "only answered queries about his name, health, age and similar matters"

JAKARTA, November 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Suspect Abu Bakar Bayshir was tight-lipped Saturday, November 2, as Indonesian police began questioning him at a Jakarta hospital, one of his lawyers said.

Bayshir replied only to basic personal questions delivered by a team of 10 detectives, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted lawyer Ahmad Michdan as saying.

The cleric made four demands before he would respond to questions related to the criminal and terrorist allegations against him, Michdan said during a short break in the session which began around 0730 GMT.

"Even if he is a suspect he has the right to remain silent," Michdan said.

Police said they prepared some 50 questions for Bayshir but Michdan said he had only answered queries about his name, health, age and similar matters.

He said Bayshir refused to reply to inquiries related to what authorities in Singapore and Malaysia allege are his ties to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which foreign intelligence agencies consider a terror network.

Michdan said Bayshir also refused to talk about his move to Malaysia many years ago, or past brushes with the law in Indonesia.

The Muslim cleric on Saturday demanded that police suspend his detention status, Michdan said.

He said Bayshir also demanded police bring to Indonesia Omar al-Faruq who allegedly implicated Bayshir.

Bayshir also wants police to apologize to Indonesian Muslim leaders and to a Muslim hospital in Central Java which they damaged Monday as they tried to bring him to Jakarta, Michdan said.

"We have obtained a letter from the hospital confirming that he is healthy and ready to be questioned today," lead investigator Jeldi Ramahdan said before the interrogation began.

Saturday night police remained behind closed doors with Bayshir despite his demands.

Police detained him on October 20 after they named him a suspect in a series of bomb attacks on Indonesian churches in 2000.

He is also accused of plotting to kill Megawati Sukarnoputri before she became president.

Bayshir denies all knowledge of JI which is now on the U.N. list of terrorist organizations and which authorities allege is linked to al-Qaeda.

Indonesia has been under intense international pressure to crack down on Islamic groups following the October 12 bombing in Indonesia's resort island of Bali, which killed more than 190 people.

Bayshir is not a suspect in the Bali blast.

Detectives have been waiting for Bayshir's health to improve before questioning him.

He collapsed last month but was in good health Saturday, Michdan said.

Vice-president Hamzah Haz Saturday urged citizens not to become agitated over the interrogation of Bayshir.

"This is to find out whether or not there is a terrorist network in Indonesia, so that the Islamic community becomes calm, and also so the international community can know," he said at an Islamic boarding school south of Jakarta.

"But this doesn't mean that the person detained by police is guilty. The courts, not the police, decide guilt," the Detikcom online news service quoted Haz as saying.

Police have not arrested any of three suspects they are hunting in connection with the blast.

But the head of the Indonesian police investigative team told AFP Saturday they are questioning Mohammad Abdulah Djafar, a resident of Bali, who has allegedly interfered in the police investigation.

"He forbid others from becoming witnesses," Mangku Pastika said from Bali.

The man has not been detained and would probably be released later Saturday while police continue to investigate the reasons for his behavior, said Pastika, who is working with detectives from Australia and other countries in a joint probe.

Chechen War Reaches Moscow World Wide War Invasion into Gaza Arafat HQ Destroyed… In Pictures Homeless in Minutes War on Iraq.. World Reaction Georgia Delays Extradition of Chechens Despite Russian Pressure U.S., Europe Unlikely To Press Russia On Chechnya: Analysts Redgrave Leads Campaign for Detained Chechen Envoy Russia Unveils Gas, Human Rights Watch Urge Independent Probe Russia Arrests 30 Citizens for Helping Chechen Fighters Russia Demands Extradition of Chechen Envoy Held in Denmark  Bombs Damage Mosque, Railway Lines in South Africa, 1 Killed Palestine: Rabbi Who Calls for Segregation Accused Of Sexual Harassment Sharon Offers Netanyahu Top Diplomat Post in The New Gov’t Palestinians Slam HRW Report Calling Bombers "War Criminals" No Policy Change Foreseen Under New Hardline Israeli Gov't: Analysts British Lawyer Files War Crimes Suit Against Israel’s Defense Minister to Be Sharon to Form Right-Wing Cabinet, Mofaz New Defense Minister Israel Wounds 3 Palestinian Children, Demolishes 4 Homes Iraq: U.S. Continues Military Buildup As U.N. Edges Closer to Iraq Resolution Russia Sees Iraq Resolution On Horizon, Inspectors To Have Office In Cyprus Eastern Catholic patriarchs oppose strike on Iraq Thousands of London Protesters Condemn War on Iraq U.S. Deploys Stealth Bombers, Iraq Urges U.N. to Resist Pressure U.S. Agrees To U.N. Debate on Iraq Before Strike Forty Million Turks To Head For The Ballots Students in Delhi protest against U.S. refusal to ratify Kyoto Protocol Israeli Protest over Egyptian Series Continues, Writer Stands His Ground Pakistani New Parliament Marks End of Military Rule Mufti Sayeed Sworn in As Kashmir Chief Minister While Rebels Attack His Home U.S. Forces Training In Kuwait Face Fourth Shooting, No Injuries Suspect Bayshir Tight-Lipped As Police Begin Questioning 17 Dead, Injured in Attack on Western Afghan Market Turkey's Polls Put Electoral System in Question Pakistan's Pro-Musharraf Party Names Candidate for PM CIA Conspiracy in Bali to Achieve U.S. Agenda: MMI Yesterday's News Advanced Search     News Archive : Day: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31     Month: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12   Year: 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999