New York: Indonesian terror suspect Riduan Islamuddin or Hambali, who was recently arrested in Thailand, has revealed that al-Qaida had financed the 2002 deadly Bali nightclub bombings, according to investigators.

Hambali, who is being interrogated at the joint British-American air base in Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, said an initial al-Qaida outlay of $ 30,000 were used to fund the Bali bombings that left 202 dead, media reports quoted American intelligence officials as saying.

"Al-Qaida was highly satisfied with the Bali bombing and as a result provided additional money" totalling $ 100,000, Hambali said, according to an interrogation report published by the 'Time' magazine.

Of the $ 45,000 allocated to Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in Indonesia, Hambali said $ 15,000 was earmarked to support the families of the jailed Bali plotters.

The remaining $ 30,000 was to be used for terrorist attacks. Hambali speculated that some of it was spent on the August attack on the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that killed 12 people.

On the other hand, the magazine says much of what Hambali says is corroborated by the confessions of two of his closest associates, Bashir bin Lap, also known as Lillie, and Mohammed Farik bin Amin.

The magazine says it has also obtained summaries of their interrogations.

Hambali, the report says, maintained the JI had been virtually "destroyed" because of those who had been captured.

PTI