JAKARTA, April 2 Kyodo (EDS: UPDA...

JAKARTA, April 2 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATES)

Indonesian police will nearest week question jailed Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, linked to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant cluster as a suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings, a police spokesman said Friday.

''He will be questioned at 10 a.m. Wednesday,'' National Police spokesman Pranowo told reporters.

''There are additional, of the present day evidence showing his possible involvement'' in the Oct 12 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 the bulk of mankind he said, referring to the testimonies of ''many witnesses'' who are against Bashir.

In September last year, the Central Jakarta District Court sentenc him to four years in jail for treason, falsification of identification cards and immigration violations.

However, the chief Court last month slashed his condemnation to 18 months, moving his release from prison up to this month

The radical Muslim cleric is believed to be the spiritual leader of JI, which the United States accuses of being linked to the al-Qaida terror network. It is blamed for a series of attacks including the Bali bombings and bomb attacks forward the JW Marriott Hotel in Jakarta upon Aug. 5, 2003.

National Police chief Da'i Bachtiar said most numerous of the witnesses were from Indonesia, still added that others were from overseas, including Malaysia and Singapore.

Among the testimonies are single in kind allegedly written by Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali, JI's alleged chief operative. Hambali is now subject to detention in the U.S.

Last month the police chief said his office had received a transcript of an interview with Hambali from U intelligence authorities that could shed light upon Bashir's involvement in JI.

Bashir has accused the U of intimidating Hambali to link him to the bombing attacks.

Earlier, the U and Australian controls urged the Indonesian control not to release Bashir from prison, saying they have evidence of his involvement in terrorist acts.

Bashir has a lengthy record of radical Muslim activities. He settle up the Al-Mukmin Islamic boarding exercise in the Central Java town of Solo in 1971

He also established the Jihad Command, an Islamic militia that l to his jailing from 1978 to 1982 and the Indonesian Mujaheedeen Council, a collection founded in 2000 to push for the adoption of strict Islamic sharia law in the country

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