Batasan Blast witness, gone missing

Miami
October 6, 2008
Story: Batasan Blast witness, gone missing

The suspect that turned out to be witness on the Batasan Blast was gone missing, Monday morning, police officials said.

Ikram Indama was under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) under witness protection program.

Indama is one of the suspects on the blast that happened in the House of Representatives last November 13, 2007 that killed Basilan Congressman Wahab Akbar and three others; and about 13 were seriously hurt.

CIDG Director Chief Supt. Raul Castaneda said that Indama is missing since 6:00 am after his custodian took a bath. “His custodian saw him this morning, between 5:30 to 6:00 am, then after he took a bath, he noticed that Indama already missing,” Castaneda said.

In fact, Indama left his pair of slippers inside the place where he used to stay in CIDG-NCR, police believed that he climbed over the fence near a mango tree then left.

Castaneda also said that Indama is a state witness already. He explained, “Last June 25,2008 actually he was the witness in Batasan bombing, and then the CIDG-NCR applied that he be discharged and that he be under witness protection program so on June 25 2008, state Prosectur Leo Dacera informed Indama that he is submission under the witness protection security and benefit program has been provisionally approved starting July 10 2008, for a period not exceeding 90 days, so he is now a witness, furthermore, Dacera said he shall remain under the custody of CIDG-NCR.”

The CIDG-NCR did not expect that Indama will be missing, because he is cooperative with the investigation in relation to Batasan bombing.

With what Indama did, he violated his contract with the Department of Justice who approved of his becoming a witness.

Castaneda added, “If he violated certain rules and regulations under that contract, the DOJ might decide for him to be a suspect once again. But, that is within their jurisdiction.”

He also said that they will investigate the custodians of Indama.