The chief suspect in the Bali bombings has said he was "delighted" by the attack's success, according to Indonesia's police chief.

General Da'i Bachtiar interrogated the suspect, an Indonesian man called Amrozi, on Wednesday in front of the media. Journalists were separated from the proceedings by glass doors.

"I only want to say I would like to apologise to my family

Bali suspect, Amrozi

Reporters said that at one point Amrozi, 40, turned towards them and waved.

General Bachtiar also played the media a tape which he said was Amrozi speaking and apologising to his family for trouble he had caused, but not to relatives of the people killed and injured in the attack.

"He heard about the bombing in Bali on the morning of October 13 at exactly 7am on Radio EL Shinta," General Bachtiar told reporters.

"He was delighted that his bomb had successfully exploded in Bali."

'Muslim cause'

General Bachtiar said that Amrozi described himself as simply a "mischievous youth" until he met an older brother, Mukhlas, in Malaysia in 1992, who gave him religious guidance.

"He realised the need to fight against people who are against Islam's followers," General Bachtiar said.

Amrozi posed for the cameras

Mr Bachtiar said that Amrozi had met a leading member of militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah, Imam Samudra, in 2000, and the two men had planned the Bali bombing - meeting in Bali on 6 October.

Samudra, 32, has been on Indonesia's wanted list for some time. He is implicated in a series of church bombings in the country during Christmas 2000.

Journalists said that Amrozi, who wore black and red long shorts and a black t-shirt with the word "prisoner" on it, looked relaxed as he was being questioned by General Bachtiar.

Message for family

Police also played what they said was a tape of Amrozi to a national news conference on Wednesday.

In a message for his relatives, the police tape had Amrozi saying: "I only want to say I would like to apologise to my family, younger brother, nephews, nieces, parents and other relatives that I had no intention to involve them in this incident".

The tape, played by General Bachtiar, made no apology to the victims of the more than 190 people who died in the 12 October bombing.

"It was only me and my youngest brother Ali Imron," the tape added.

Ali Imron, along with another brother, Ali Fauzi, were named as suspects in the attack on Tuesday, after police found weapons and explosives in East Java which they allege the two men hid on Amrozi's behalf.

Militant link

The police also provided more evidence to link the Bali bombings and Jemaah Islamiah (JI).

Indonesian intelligence chief Hendropriyono said that Hambali - the alleged operations chief for JI - had been replaced by Amrozi's brother, Mukhlas.

Samudra was one of four additional suspects named by police on Wednesday, Reuters news agency reported.

The other three are reportedly a man called Idris, and two men named Umar.