July 17, 2003, The Philippine Star, Palace denies al-Ghozi freed, by Marichu Villanueva,

July 17, 2003, The Philippine Star, Palace denies al-Ghozi freed, by Marichu Villanueva,

Malacanang branded yesterday as an "air ball" the allegations of Senator Manuel Villar that Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi was intentionally freed by his jail guards on orders by their superiors.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye claimed Villar had apparently got his facts mixed up.

"It's an air ball (like a basketball). It's way off the mark. In the first place, Senator Villar has his facts all mixed up," he said.

Villar has claimed al-Ghozi was intentionally freed from his detention cell at Camp Crame with the "go-signal from the top", allegedly in response to a request by Indonesian government to release al-Ghozi to their custody.

"The Indonesian government never made any request for the custody of al-Ghozi," Bunye said.

"Furthermore, it would be illogical for the government to risk political fallouts just to accommodate the alleged request of a friendly government," he said.

Bunye said Villar apparently got confused into alluding to case of Agus Dwikarna, whose political clansmen in Sulawesi have sought the assistance of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to intervene for his release in the Philippines and be deported instead.

Dwikarna and al-Ghozi were separately arrested last year and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. Both were convicted separately.

In the case of Dwikarna, there were claims by Indonesian political leaders that the conviction against him was based on "planted" evidence.

But Manila stood firm and said Dwikarna's conviction was based on valid grounds.

Villar, during a radio interview, insisted however on his theory citing information that al-Ghozi is supposedly a son of a member of the Indonesian parliament, who requested Megawati to call on Manila to turn over custody to Jakarta.