Bomb blast convict gets 11 years' imprisonment<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): A district court here sentenced 42-
\nyear-old Edy Sugiharto to 11 years in jail on Monday for
\nassembling bombs sent to churches on Christmas Eve last year.<\/p>\n
The sentence was lighter than the 20-year jail term demanded
\nby chief prosecutor Freddy Siregar.<\/p>\n
The court panel of judges, presided over by K. Sianturi, said
\nin their verdict that Edy had been found guilty beyond any doubt
\nof producing bombs to be detonated in the North Sumatra's cities
\nof Medan and Pematang Siantar and in Pekanbaru, Riau.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge Sianturi said that Edy was guilty of violating
\nArticle 1 and Article 55 of the Criminal Law No. 12\/1951 for
\nproducing and exploding bombs. The bombs assembled by the convict
\nexploded in Pematang Siantar on Dec. 24, 2000, the judge said.<\/p>\n
The judge said the defendant's activities had caused fear
\namong people and endangered human lives. While the mitigating
\nfactors, according to him, were that Edi had been polite and
\ncooperative during previous court hearings.<\/p>\n
The judge said that Edi received the order to produce the
\nbombs from Polem, alias Eriyanto, the commander of the Free Aceh
\nMovement (GAM) for Pasai region in Aceh. Polem has been put on
\nthe list of wanted persons.<\/p>\n
Edi, according to the judge, had received Rp 28 million from
\nPolem to assemble 14 bombs and to detonate the bombs at the homes
\nof clergymen and churches in the cities.<\/p>\n
The judge further said that after several meetings with Polem
\nand his friends between June and Dec. 19, 2000, Edy began
\nproducing the bombs on Dec. 20, 2000 and finished assembling them
\nthree days later.<\/p>\n
Each of the bombs were then put in parcels with Christmas
\ngreeting cards bearing the message: "Appealing for God's
\nblessings and a miracle for my mother who is undergoing cervical
\ncancer surgery in Singapore."<\/p>\n
Every parcel had a fictive sender's name and address: Kwik
\nJean Lee\/Chandra Wijaya, director of PT Indo Mandiri Perkasa at
\nJl. Irian Barat No. 5, Medan.<\/p>\n
Five parcels were sent to E. L. Imaron Sebayang Mth, a
\nclergyman of a church at Jl. Kasuari Sipinggul-Pinggul, Pematang
\nSiantar. The bombs, which exploded on Christmas Eve, destroyed
\nhis house but claimed no victims.<\/p>\n
Two bombs which failed to explode were found by Raden Kus
\nSimamora, a Catholic priest, in a church on Jl Hayam Wuruk and at
\nthe house of clergyman W. Lody Matondang on Jl. Hasanuddin, all
\nin Medan.<\/p>\n
Edy and his lawyer Togatorop rejected the verdict and said
\nthey would appeal to a higher court. (42)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bomb-blast-convict-gets-11-years-imprisonment-1447893297",
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