Al-Ghozi gives evidence on Manila bombing<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Manila<\/p>\n
A detained Indonesian suspected of being an accomplice of
\nOsama bin Laden Friday made a sworn deposition over his alleged
\nrole in a Manila bombing that killed 22 people, Philippine
\nprosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi said in a sworn affidavit that he gave
\n250,000 pesos (US$4,882) to a men who was later indicted along
\nwith two other suspects in the bomb attack on a railway coach in
\nDecember 2000.<\/p>\n
However, he said he gave the money to a certain Muklis a month
\nbefore the attack as \"financial support\" to the Moro Islamic
\nLiberation Front (MILF), a separatist guerrilla group operating
\nin the southern Philippines.<\/p>\n
Al-Ghozi said he had no prior knowledge it would be used
\nspecifically to bomb Manila's overhead rail system, although he
\nsaid Muklis told him \"of their plan to bomb\" and launch attacks
\nin the Philippine capital.<\/p>\n
\"He (Muklis) asked for financial support. Our boss Fais
\napproved of the plan because of our campaign for jihad in the
\nPhilippines,\" al-Ghozi said in his deposition.<\/p>\n
State prosecutors said the Fais mentioned in the document is
\nFais bin Abu Bakar Bafana, who they described as a Malaysia-based
\nmilitant.<\/p>\n
State prosecutor Peter Ong told reporters the Indonesian would
\nbe charged with multiple murder, punishable by death, \"if he
\ncould be linked to the incident.\"<\/p>\n
The justice department is conducting an inquest to determine
\n\"probable cause\" before deciding whether to file criminal charges
\nagainst al-Ghozi, who was arrested in central Manila last month.<\/p>\n
His arrest led to the seizure in the southern Philippines of a
\nton of explosives, and the subsequent arrest of four Filipinos,
\nall alleged MILF members.<\/p>\n
It is believed the weapons were stockpiled by the alleged
\nIslamic terror network Jemaah Islamiyah, and are meant for
\nattacks in Southeast Asian countries.<\/p>\n
Muklis, who Filipino police said is the alias of MILF member
\nHadji Onos, and two other people have been indicted for multiple
\nmurder for their alleged role in the bombing. All three are at
\nlarge.<\/p>\n
Al-Ghozi said in his affidavit that he gave the money to
\nMuklis in the southern city of Marawi, and the explosives were
\npurchased in the central city of Cebu.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/al-ghozi-gives-evidence-on-manila-bombing-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}