11 Indonesians to go on trial in U.S.

11 Indonesians to go on trial in U.S.

JAKARTA: Eleven Indonesian nationals recently arrested in New
Hampshire, USA, for overstaying their visas are being detained in
two separate prisons before their trials begin on Tuesday, local
time.

The initial hearing is scheduled for Tuesday (Wednesday
Indonesian time) for the first three, Indonesian consul general
in New York I.G. Ngurah Swetja said.

The hearing date for the remaining eight is yet to be advised
by the local court.

They have been detained in two separate prisons -- five in a
prison in New Hampshire and five in Massachusetts.

They were arrested when police raided a house they were
renting in New Hampshire.

Ngurah Swetja said that the consulate did not have sufficient
funds to pay the court guarantee of $55,000 for their release
while awaiting trial.

He said all of them were in good health and fasting during the
month of Ramadhan.

It was confirmed that the group had been arrested for
overstaying their visas and not in relation to terrorist
activities, as initially feared.

The Indonesian citizens have been identified as Sukino, 55,
from Bekasi, West Java; Nur Abdul Mutholib, 29, from Malang, East
Java; Muhammad Munir, 24, from Jakarta; Rudi Hartono, 24, from
Banyuwangi, East Java; Nurrochman, 36, from Karawang, West Java;
Rustin Pandukunian, 43, from Bekasi; Achmad Alidin Adnan, 59,
from Padang, West Sumatra; Abdul Ghofur, 21, from Nganjuk, East
Java; Asep Jusuf Jamaludin, 28, from Cilangkap, Jakarta; Rudi
Haryanto, 29, from Tulungagung, East Java; and Ayub Rachman, 28,
from Jakarta. -- Antara