Amrozi gives death sentence demand a thumbs-down<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
Key Bali bombing suspect Amrozi continued to express indifference
\nat his trial that could send him before a firing squad.<\/p>\n
The defendant, nicknamed the "smiling bomber", made a thumbs-
\ndown gesture and grinned broadly before prosecutor Erna
\nNormawati, whose team maintained, in their rebuttal of Amrozi's
\ndefense argument, their demand for the death sentence.<\/p>\n
Erna said Amrozi gave the signal while being escorted from the
\ncourtroom at the Nari Graha building to a waiting armored vehicle
\nthat would take him back to his cell.<\/p>\n
"He was passing in front of me when he started grinning widely
\nand turned his right hand counterclockwise so that his thumb
\npointed downward," she said.<\/p>\n
He expressed apathy earlier while Erna read out the 16-page
\nprosecutors' rebuttal. They asked the judges to reject the entire
\ndefense argument presented by the defendant's lawyers.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors reiterated that the judges fulfill the capital
\npunishment demand for Amrozi, who is being charged with planning,
\norganizing and executing the Bali bombings on Oct. 12, 2002,
\nwhich killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
In their response, the prosecutors also attacked the defense
\nlawyers, accusing them of over-zealously "fabricating a flawed
\ndefense filled with nonsense and careless legal interpretations."<\/p>\n
Both Amrozi and his top lawyer, Ahmad Wirawan Adnan,
\nrepeatedly smiled at the prosecutors' words. Citing an analysis
\nfrom a former intelligence official, the lawyers said in their
\nclient's defense that a third party might have carried out the
\nbombings.<\/p>\n
Erna stressed that the defendant's activities prior to the
\nbombings proved that the attacks were premeditated and well-
\nplanned.<\/p>\n
"Was it possible to carry out a bombing, which involved many
\nperpetrators, without prior planning? We believe that it was
\nimpossible, because there would have been so many things that
\nneeded synchronizing in such an operation," Erna said.<\/p>\n
The perpetrators would have to agree on the target, timing,
\nfunding sources and executors, Erna added. Such an agreement
\ncould only have been reached through meetings.<\/p>\n
Previously, although admitting to have bought the explosive
\nmaterials and the L-300 minivan, which were later used in the
\nattacks, Amrozi vehemently denied that a number of preparations
\nwere made.<\/p>\n
His lawyers also insisted that Amrozi was not the brains
\nbehind the bombings, the deadliest since the terror attack on the
\nUnited States on Sept. 11, 2001.<\/p>\n
One of the defense lawyers, Ahmad Wirawan Adnan, asked the
\njudges for a chance to deliver an oral response to prosecutors
\nbut was turned down by presiding judge I Made Karna Parna.
\nInstead, the judge gave the lawyers three days to draft their
\nwritten response, which would be read out during the next hearing
\non July 21.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Amrozi demanded more lawyers and more time to
\nconsult with them.<\/p>\n
"All this time I have only been given 10 minutes to meet and
\ndiscuss the case with my lawyers. Sometimes, the allocated time
\nhad run out before I even had a chance to express what was in my
\nmind and engage my lawyers in discussion. I asked you to provide
\nme with more time; some 20 to 30 minutes would have been
\nsufficient for us," Amrozi said.<\/p>\n
The judges said they would take the request into
\nconsideration.<\/p>\n
Separately, Bali Prosecutor's Office spokesman Muhammad Salim
\nsaid Amrozi's trial was expected to be completed by the end of
\nthis month.<\/p>\n
"There will be at least three more sessions, so by the end of
\nthis month, the judges, hopefully, will hand down the verdict,"
\nhe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/amrozi-gives-death-sentence-demand-a-thumbs-down-1447893297",
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