BY RAYMOND AFRICA

A BROTHER of Anak-Mindanao Rep. Mujiv Hataman was tagged as mastermind of an alleged plot to kill Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.

Akbar and four others were killed after an improvised explosive device went off last month at the House of Representatives.

Caidar Aunal, one of three suspects arrested two days after the November 13 explosion, said Jim Hataman ordered his group to kill Akbar.

Jim Hataman lost to Akbar in last May’s elections.

Aunal was captured along with Ikram Indama and Adham Kusain as government security forces raided their lair in Quezon City. Three other suspects Abu Jandal and spouses Redwan and Saing Idanan – were killed in the raid.

Aunal, in a sworn statement executed November 22 at the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region in Camp Crame, said the plot to kill Akbar was hatched sometime in October at a Figaro coffee shop which he said is near a Greenbucks shop near the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City.

Aunal said he served as driver for the group.

He said he, Redwan Idanan and Ikram Indama met Jim Hataman.

He said he heard Hataman telling Redwan, "Tuloy natin ang pagpatay kay Congressman Wahab Akbar.’"

"Ang sagot naman ni Redwan ay, `Ako na ang bahala,’" Aunal said.

Aunal, who is from Mabaracat, Barangay Visaya, Isabela City in Basilan, said he was "recruited" to join the group in the province.

He said they traveled from Basilan to Quezon City on October 13 using the "ro-ro (roll-on, roll-off)" nautical highway. He said he served as alternate driver to Indama. He said they used a "gray" vehicle owned by Indama. That time, he said, he did not know the purpose of their trip.

In Zamboanga city, he said, they stopped at the Gersal Hardware where some last minute "plans" were made.

Aunal said "Gersal" stands for Gerry Salapuddin, a former Basilan congressman who ran for governor last May but lost to Akbar’s wide Jum.

The group arrived in Quezon City on October 16. Aunal and his companions stayed at "Greenbucks" in Batasan Hills. He described "Greenbucks" as a two-story structure with three rooms at the second floor and computers at the ground floor.

At Greenbucks, he said he overheard Jandal, Redwan, and Indama talking about bomb components they had bought.

The following day, Aunal said, he, Redwan, Jandal and Ikram Indama went to a building in Quiapo, Manila.

He said Jandal and Redwan entered the building while he and Ikram Indama stayed outside. He said it was there where two bombs were assembled.

He said one bomb went to Redwan and the other to former Tuburan, Basilan mayor Jamiri Hajiron, who was arrested in follow-up operations.

While at Greenbucks, Aunal said Jandal placed the assembled explosive device in a can of milk formula and planted it on a motorcycle which was brought by Indama at the Batasan complex on Nov. 13.

Aunal said he asked Jandal for whom the bomb was intended. He said Jandal replied: "Si Congressman Wahab Akbar."

Based on information from Indama, Aunal said it was Benjamin "Jang" Hataman, a cousin of the Hatamans,’ who detonated the bomb using a cellphone.

He said he was given P50,000 by Redwan for his expenses.

Aunal said he learned of the explosion through flash reports on TV.

"Napanood namin ito (explosion) sa TV ng gabi pagkatapos sumabog ang bomba bandang 8:20 ng gabi sa flash report. Kasama kong nakapanood sina Adham (Kusain) at si Saing (Idanan) at tinawag ko sina Bong (Abu Jandal) at Redwan na nasa taas ng bahay sa kuwarto," Aunal said.

"Nakita ko po si Redwan na tumatawa at sinabi ni Bong na `Ok na,’" Aunal added.