10-year sentence sought for blast suspects

10-year sentence sought for blast suspects

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutors on Wednesday sought a 10-year
sentence for the two suspects who allegedly hurled a grenade at
the Malaysian embassy compound here last year.

However only one of the suspects, Iswadi H. Jamil, was present
during the trial at the South Jakarta district court. The other
suspect, Corp. Ibrahim Hasan, was tried in absentia after having
escaped detention at Cipinang Penitentiary.

Prosecutor Agus Widodo told the court that both defendants
were guilty of illegal possession of explosives.

"There is the possibility that the act of the defendants was
based on the intention to cause national disturbance and
disintegration," Agus said.

A grenade was hurled into the Malaysian embassy compound from
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said in August last year. It exploded in the
parking lot of the embassy' compound.

There were no injuries and the explosion only caused minor
damage.

Iswadi and Ibrahim Hasan allegedly obtained the grenades in
Bandung, West Java, from a member of the Army's Special Force
(Kopassus) who is still at large.

The defense's lawyer, Johnson Pandjaitan, has accused
prosecutors of trying to link the incident at the Malaysian
Embassy with the Jakarta Stock Exchange bombing which occurred
earlier in September.

The court adjourned until Aug. 8 to hear the defense.

In a separate development, the South Jakarta district court
earlier on Wednesday morning also convened two separate trials on
JSX bombing suspects.

However both trials were quickly suspended upon prosecutors'
request.

In one trial for defendants Tengku Ismuhadi Jafar and
Nuryadin, prosecutor Endang Rahman requested an adjournment to
allow prosecutors to alter the dossiers due to the escape of
Nuryadin.

Nuryadin remains at large after escaping from Cipinang prison
on July 27.

Tengku Ismuhadi Jafar has been accused of being the strategist
and organizer of the JSX bombing which killed 11 people.

Nuryadin, the alleged executor of the bombing, was an employee
at Ismuhadi's auto repair shop.

Presiding judge Rusman Dani Achmad rejected the defense's
objections to the adjournment.

The trial will be reconvened on Monday.

In the other trial prosecutors were also granted an
adjournment to allow them time to include suspect Irwan's recent
failed jailbreak in the dossiers.

Irwan is another of the 12 suspects who are being tried at the
South Jakarta district court for the JSX bombing.

Prosecutors attempts during the trial on Wednesday to seek
further testimony from Irwan, a former Kopassus member, on the
bombing failed as the defendant refused to disclose further
information.

Sources close to the court said Irwan was afraid to divulge
further information on the attack for fear of reprisals against
his family living in Aceh.

Irwan's lawyer, Arfiandi Fauzan, said his client had also been
absent in previous hearings due to fear for his own life and that
of his family.

Arfiandi did not elaborate on the nature of the threats which
had been received by his client.

However, prosecutor Suyitno told reporters that pending the
approval of the judge, Irwan could provide testimony in private
which could be considered by prosecutors in drafting the final
dossier. (06)4