Jakarta – A prime suspect in the Bali bombing will recant in court his confession implicating Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir in the blasts because it was made under police torture, the suspect's lawyer said yesterday.

Lawyer Qadhar Faisal said Imam Samudra involuntarily implicated Bashir after police stripped him, showered him with water all night long while he was blindfolded and slapped him in the face. Police also inserted iron objects between Samudra's toes and twisted the toes together, the lawyer alleged.

Mr Faisal said investigators had asked Samudra if Bashir is the imam, or leader, of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) regional terror network, which is blamed for the Bali bombing and if he had met Bashir before and after the attack on October 12.

Samudra said "yes" because he could not stand the torture, according to his lawyer.

"The fact that he has put another person's life in danger is excruciating for him," Mr Faisal said. "He will recant his forced confession in court." Bali police spokesman Yatim Suyatmo said he had not heard directly of such claims of torture.

"The fact is there are no signs of torture on Imam's body and investigators have also said they have never used violent means," he said.