SBY Awaiting Official Report Concerning Umar Patek

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is still awaiting an official report concerning information about the arrest by Pakistani authorities of terrorist fugitive Umar Patek.

Presidential special staff for international relations Teuku Faizasyah said at the presidential office that as of Wednesday afternoon President Yudhoyono had yet to receive any official information about Umar Patek’s arrest.

"What we are monitoring and waiting for is the official report about the arrest to the Indonesian government. If we receive the official information, the Foreign Affairs Ministry will explain it," Faizasyah said.

He said that typically in the relations between two countries, if a citizen of a country is arrested the authorities of the other country should report it to the person’s country of origin.

Faizasyah added that President Yudhoyono would certainly get the official information about further development from competent parties such as National Police, State Intelligence Agency, or other related institution.

The National Police Headquarters has earlier said to make a coordination with the National Board of Terrorism Management (BNPT) to check the information related to the arrest of terrorist fugitive Umar Patek in Pakistan.

"We are at the moment making a coordination with BNPT to check the truth of the information," chief of National Police Public Information Bureau, Brig Gen Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said. According to Ketut, the police would also coordinate with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to obtain confirmation from the Pakistani government.