[Kabar-indonesia] TNI Denies Link with Admiral Held in U.S.

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post 
Monday, October 2, 2006

TNI Denies Link with Admiral Held in U.S. 

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Military (TNI) has denied any links Sunday with a retired 
admiral arrested in the United States last week for allegedly conspiring to sell 
arms and equipment to Sri Lanka rebels and Indonesian customers.

TNI spokesman Rear Admiral M. Sunarto Sjoekronoputro said Erick Wotulo, 60, 
who was arrested in U.S. territory Guam, along with an Indonesian and two 
foreigners, had acted on his own. 

"I did not know what was his motivation and for what purpose that he bought 
the arms. Certainly, the TNI would not buy illegal weapons," he told the 
detikcom news portal Sunday. 

Sunarto said the TNI would investigate to find out more about Erick's status 
as a retired officer. 

The two Indonesians, Erick and Haji Subandi, 69, were among six men charged 
in the U.S. for conspiring to sell arms and equipment to Sri Lanka's Tamil 
Tiger rebels and to customers in Indonesia. 

American officials said Friday the Indonesians -- along with Singaporean 
Haniffa bin Osman, 55, and Sri Lankan Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, 36 -- were 
charged with conspiring to export surface-to-air missiles, machine guns, 
ammunition and night vision goggles to Tamil Tiger rebels. 

Arrested in Guam late this week, Osman, Erick and Subandi were charged with 
conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and 
money laundering. 

In a separate conspiracy also linked to the undercover operation in Maryland, 
two Indonesians -- Reinhard Rusli, 34, and Helmi Soedirdja, 33 -- along with 
Subandi conspired to ship night vision goggles to customers in Indonesia. 

Foreign Affairs Ministry director of Indonesian citizens protection Ferry 
Adamhar told detikcom the Indonesian Consulate General in Los Angeles had 
contacted the U.S. officials who made the arrests. 

A team from Los Angeles, he said, would fly to Guam on Monday to confirm the 
arrest and to seek more details. 

"We will make sure the four Indonesians retain their legal rights, like 
access to lawyers. If they have no money (to pay for the lawyers), we will look for 
pro bono legal assistance," Ferry said. 

Ferry said his office had also contacted the four men's families by 
telephone. 

He said the Indonesian government would not interfere in U.S legal process 
and would not ask the government there to deport them. 

"They are being legally processed. Let the legal system in the country 
proceed," he said. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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