Bombers' accomplices jailed for up to 15 years
Bombers' accomplices jailed for up to 15 years
Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post,
Denpasar/Makassar
The Denpasar District Court sentenced Hernianto and Masykur Abdul
Kadir to 12 years and 15 years in jail respectively on Monday for
helping perpetrators of the Bali bombings carry out the attacks
that killed 202 people last October.
In their verdict, the judges trying Hernianto said the
defendant was proven guilty of planning a terrorist act.
"The defendant has clearly violated Article 15 of the law on
terrorism and is therefore sentenced to 12 years in jail," said
judge IB Jagra as he delivered the verdict.
Prosecutors had demanded 20 years in prison for Hernianto, who
maintained he was not guilty, despite the verdict.
The judges said Hernianto was proven guilty of providing a
meeting point at his home in Surakarta, Central Java, sometime in
July or August 2002, which led to the planning and execution of
the blasts in Bali.
Participants at the meeting included Abdul Aziz, alias Imam
Samudra, Abdul Matin and Zulkarnaen. The former has been
sentenced to death while the latter two remain at large. During
the meeting they also planned to protest against church leaders
who took part in the Asian Church leaders meeting at Lord Inn,
also in Surakarta.
Hernianto, who was accompanied by lawyer Rudiyanto, said that
he would appeal the verdict.
The judges said they arrived at the verdict after taking into
consideration that the defendant was still young, with small
children. But the judges also found that Hernianto had shown no
remorse, as he had considered his action was in accordance with
his religious belief.
In a separate hearing, the only local brought to court,
Masykur Abdul Kadir, a native of Singaraja, North Bali, was found
guilty of deliberately facilitating the bombers by providing
access to transportation and accommodation in Bali.
The judges said Masykur had helped hire a rental car and had
found rooms for Samudra and other suspect, Jhony Hendrawan.
Prosecutors had demanded the same length of sentence for
Masykur.
The defendant's wife, Siti Ferianti, broke down in tears,
saying her husband was innocent.
"The sentence is too heavy for my husband. He was only trying
to make ends meet and support his family," Siti wept while
holding onto her husband tightly.
Like Hernianto, Masykur also planned to appeal the verdict.
As of now, the Denpasar Court has sentenced 15 of 29 Bali
bombing defendants. Two of the bombers, Amrozi and Samudra, were
sentenced to death and Ali Imron received a life sentence.
In Makassar, the prosecutors in the deadly bombing of a
McDonald's fast-food outlet demanded on Monday a 10-year jail
sentence for Muchtar Daeng Lau, a man accused of attending a
planning meeting to carry out the attack.
Prosecutors said the defendant attended the meeting at the
house of key suspect Agung Abdul Hamid in October 2002 and took
the minutes of the meeting.
Three people -- including the attacker -- were killed in the
Dec. 5 bombing. Another blast damaged a car showroom belonging to
the family of Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf
Kalla shortly afterward but caused no casualties.
Agung is currently at large.
The court sentenced last Thursday Imal Hamid to six years in
prison for concealing information related to terrorist acts.
Earlier this month, it sentenced Suryadi to seven years in jail
for withholding information and storing firearms for the
assailants. Some 20 suspects remain in custody.
Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post,
Denpasar/Makassar
The Denpasar District Court sentenced Hernianto and Masykur Abdul
Kadir to 12 years and 15 years in jail respectively on Monday for
helping perpetrators of the Bali bombings carry out the attacks
that killed 202 people last October.
In their verdict, the judges trying Hernianto said the
defendant was proven guilty of planning a terrorist act.
"The defendant has clearly violated Article 15 of the law on
terrorism and is therefore sentenced to 12 years in jail," said
judge IB Jagra as he delivered the verdict.
Prosecutors had demanded 20 years in prison for Hernianto, who
maintained he was not guilty, despite the verdict.
The judges said Hernianto was proven guilty of providing a
meeting point at his home in Surakarta, Central Java, sometime in
July or August 2002, which led to the planning and execution of
the blasts in Bali.
Participants at the meeting included Abdul Aziz, alias Imam
Samudra, Abdul Matin and Zulkarnaen. The former has been
sentenced to death while the latter two remain at large. During
the meeting they also planned to protest against church leaders
who took part in the Asian Church leaders meeting at Lord Inn,
also in Surakarta.
Hernianto, who was accompanied by lawyer Rudiyanto, said that
he would appeal the verdict.
The judges said they arrived at the verdict after taking into
consideration that the defendant was still young, with small
children. But the judges also found that Hernianto had shown no
remorse, as he had considered his action was in accordance with
his religious belief.
In a separate hearing, the only local brought to court,
Masykur Abdul Kadir, a native of Singaraja, North Bali, was found
guilty of deliberately facilitating the bombers by providing
access to transportation and accommodation in Bali.
The judges said Masykur had helped hire a rental car and had
found rooms for Samudra and other suspect, Jhony Hendrawan.
Prosecutors had demanded the same length of sentence for
Masykur.
The defendant's wife, Siti Ferianti, broke down in tears,
saying her husband was innocent.
"The sentence is too heavy for my husband. He was only trying
to make ends meet and support his family," Siti wept while
holding onto her husband tightly.
Like Hernianto, Masykur also planned to appeal the verdict.
As of now, the Denpasar Court has sentenced 15 of 29 Bali
bombing defendants. Two of the bombers, Amrozi and Samudra, were
sentenced to death and Ali Imron received a life sentence.
In Makassar, the prosecutors in the deadly bombing of a
McDonald's fast-food outlet demanded on Monday a 10-year jail
sentence for Muchtar Daeng Lau, a man accused of attending a
planning meeting to carry out the attack.
Prosecutors said the defendant attended the meeting at the
house of key suspect Agung Abdul Hamid in October 2002 and took
the minutes of the meeting.
Three people -- including the attacker -- were killed in the
Dec. 5 bombing. Another blast damaged a car showroom belonging to
the family of Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf
Kalla shortly afterward but caused no casualties.
Agung is currently at large.
The court sentenced last Thursday Imal Hamid to six years in
prison for concealing information related to terrorist acts.
Earlier this month, it sentenced Suryadi to seven years in jail
for withholding information and storing firearms for the
assailants. Some 20 suspects remain in custody.