Makassar bomb suspects could stand trial soon<\/p>\n
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi<\/p>\n
The South Sulawesi Police transferred on Tuesday eight suspects
\nin the Dec. 5, 2002 Makassar bomb blasts and handed over their
\ndossiers to the state prosecutor's office in the city.<\/p>\n
The eight were identified as Muchtar Daeng Lau, Masnur, Usman,
\nAnton, Kahar Mustafa, Abdul Hamid Rassaq, Imal Abdul Hamid and
\nLukman. Eleven other people are in custody in connection with the
\ncase and are still being investigated.<\/p>\n
The police also handed over, along with the suspects, one
\nmotorcycle, TNT and other material evidence.<\/p>\n
The provincial chief of detectives, Sr. Comr. Achmad Abdi,
\nsaid the suspects had been transferred to Makassar prison because
\ntheir dossiers have been completed.<\/p>\n
\"The state prosecutor who officially received the suspects and
\ndossiers confirmed that the dossiers had been completed, and so
\nthe prosecutors can prepare the indictments against the suspects
\nbefore they stand trial,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdi said that 24 people had been declared suspects in the
\nbombings, which killed three people and injured 11 others.
\nFive of the 24 are still at large.<\/p>\n
The five alleged to have played a decisive role in the
\nbombings at a McDonald's outlet and a car dealership are Agung
\nAbdul Hamid, Bizbullah Rasyid, Dahlan and Mirjal. The building
\nhousing the car dealership belonged to Coordinating Minister for
\nPeople's Welfare Yusuf Kalla.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, chief prosecutor Hamzah Tadja, who received the
\nsuspects and the dossiers, said his office would immediately draw
\nup the indictments.<\/p>\n
\"We are optimistic that the trial will start by the end of
\nthis month. We will pay more attention to this case because many
\npeople are waiting for the trial. This is an extraordinary case,
\nso we are handling it carefully, instead of rushing in and making
\nlots of mistakes,\" said Hamzah.<\/p>\n
He explained that the five men who allegedly played major
\nroles in the bombings would be charged with the illegal
\npossession of explosives and murder. He said the prosecutors
\nwould demand that they be handed the death penalty.<\/p>\n
\"The charges are different for different suspects, depending
\non their involvement in the bombings. The harshest punishment is
\nthe death penalty,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The local police plan to deploy around two companies of Mobile
\nBrigade police to enhance security during the trial.<\/p>\n
The Denpasar District Court is also expected to try later this
\nmonth the suspects of the Oct. 12, 2002 Bali bombings, which
\nkilled more than 200 people, mostly foreigners, and injured more
\nthan 320 people.<\/p>\n
The police claim that separate groups behind the Christmas Eve
\n2000 and 2002 blasts in the country were closely related to the
\nJamaah Islamiyah (JI), of which Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is the
\nspiritual leader. Ba'asyir is presently in police custody.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/makassar-bomb-suspects-could-stand-trial-soon-1447893297",
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