8 years sought for terror suspects

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

Prosecutors asked on Monday that four men being tried separately at the Cibinong District Court in West Java be sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly assembling homemade bombs intended for terrorist attacks.

Prosecutor Lukman Rumaedi said one of the defendant, Oman Rachman, was involved in preparations for terrorist attacks from December 2003 until March 2004.

"With his influence as a cleric, the defendant arranged to lead his followers to conduct terrorist attacks. To that end, they were preparing explosives and conducting military training," said the prosecutor.

Lukman said the defendant was being charged under Article 15 of Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism and Article 55 of the Criminal Code.

In a separate trial, prosecutor Joni Setiawan said suspects Syarif Hidayat, Septiono and Kamaludin were involved in preparations for terrorist attacks and opened their houses to people planning attacks.

"The suspects provided their houses on Jl. Hasan in Cijantung, East Jakarta, for military training and bomb preparations since December 2003," said the prosecutor.

He added that in order to avoid suspicion, the suspects called themselves the Al-Asad mountaineering group.

The suspects violated articles 9 and 15 of Law No. 15/2003 and Article 55 of the Criminal Code, and should be sentenced to eight years in prison each, the prosecutor said.

Another trial also taking place involves defendant Inggrit Wahyu Cahyaningsih. The trial is being presided over by judge Mulyadi with Rengganis as the prosecutor.

She is accused of helping the four other suspects prepare for terrorist attacks.

All five people are suspects in the Cimanggis bombing on March 21, 2004. Four other suspects in that attack -- Agus Kusdianto, Samin, Mohammad Ferdiansyah and Adi Swandono -- are being tried by the same court.