Bali bombing defendant denies charges<\/p>\n
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
A defendant on trial for his role in the Bali bombings Suranto
\nAbdul Ghoni, alias Umar, alias Wayan, denied on Monday
\naccusations that he had taken part in manufacturing the bombs,
\nwhich killed 202 people in October 2002.<\/p>\n
\"I only pounded and ground the chemical powder sent by Amrozi.
\nIs the act of grinding classified as mixing and manufacturing a
\nbomb?\" he asked presiding judge I Made Sadia.<\/p>\n
Amrozi, one of the masterminds of the attack, was responsible
\nfor the logistical support of the operation, including the
\npurchase of explosive materials and the minivan that was later
\nused as a car bomb. He was sentenced to death for his role in the
\nterrorist attack. Recently his sentence was upheld by the Supreme
\nCourt.<\/p>\n
In his 20-minute-long reply to the prosecutor's charge,
\nSuranto also claimed that he had never participated in any of the
\nmeetings in which the bombings were planned, including the one
\nthat took place at Hernianto's house in Solo, Central Java.<\/p>\n
\"Seventeen witnesses have testified in this trial and none of
\nthem identified me as a leader, intellectual actor or the
\ntreasurer of the operation. Moreover, no one claimed that I
\nagreed and supported the outcome of the meeting in Hernianto's
\nhouse,\" Suranto stressed.<\/p>\n
\"Could somebody who did not have any knowledge of a meeting be
\naccused of participating in that meeting, of agreeing with the
\nmeeting's results and taking a treasurer's role in it?\"<\/p>\n
Afterward, Suranto's lawyer Mirzen pointed out that the main
\ncharge presented by the prosecutor, had not been substantiated by
\nany of the witnesses.<\/p>\n
However, Mirzen admitted his client had failed to inform the
\npolice of the existence of bomb making materials, such as
\naluminum powder, sulfur and potassium chlorate in a rented house
\nin downtown Denpasar, where he resided during his stay in Bali.<\/p>\n
\"Those aforementioned facts prompt us to inquire: on what
\nevidences did the prosecutor actually base his accusation, that
\nmy client had perpetrated the bombings?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
In the previous trial, the prosecutor had demanded a life
\nsentence for the defendant for his role in manufacturing and
\ntransporting the bombs.<\/p>\n
The trial was adjourned until Monday next week.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bali-bombing-defendant-denies-charges-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }