Bali bombing 'abettor' acquitted of all charges
Bali bombing 'abettor' acquitted of all charges
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post/Palu
The Supreme Court has upheld a full acquittal issued by a high
court for a suspected abettor in the Bali bombing case, the
defense's legal counsel said on Monday.
Reviewing the appeal filed by the prosecution on the Central
Sulawesi High Court's acquittal of defendant Aang, the Supreme
Court said in a statement the prosecution could not prove that
the defendant had harbored two Bali bombing perpetrators two
years ago, and ordered the defendant released.
"After months of hard work, our client was finally released,"
Andi Makkasau, Aang's lawyer, said on Monday.
He said he had just received a copy of the Supreme Court
ruling, which was dated Aug. 13.
Aang was arrested early last year along with two Bali bombing
suspects, Firmansyah and Achmad Roichan, in Lere subdistrict,
West Palu, Central Sulawesi.
A police investigation named Aang a suspect in harboring
Firmansyah and Achmad from December 2002 to April 2004, only a
couple of months after the Oct. 12, 2002, bombing of the Sari
Club and Paddy's Cafe that killed over 202 people, mostly foreign
tourists.
Aang remained consistent throughout his district court trial
in denying that he was connected to the suspected perpetrators or
that he hid them following the terror attack.
He testified that he had been invited by Achmad, a friend, to
dinner, and was not aware that Achmad was a Bali bombing suspect.
The district court found him guilty and sentenced him to three
years in jail early this year.
Aang appealed to the Central Sulawesi High Court, which
overturned the lower court's verdict. The prosecution then
appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld the high court's
ruling.
Most of the more than 30 defendants in the Bali bombing case
have been found guilty, with sentences ranging from 2 years to
death.
Firmansyah has been sentenced to three years in jail, and
Achmad Roichan is being tried in a Jakarta court for his role in
the Bali bombing.
Aang is the first defendant that has been acquitted.