Bombing accomplices guilty, jailed
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
The Denpasar District Court sentenced three accomplices in the deadly Bali bombings to 15 and 16 years in prison on Monday after declaring them guilty of assisting and providing funds for terrorist acts.
The court sentenced in three different court sessions Andi Hidayat and Junaedi to 15 years in prison for robbing a jewelry store in Tangerang, Banten in 2002 to raise money for the Bali terrorist attacks, while robbery mastermind Abdul Rauf alias Sam received a 16-year sentence.
"The court found the defendant guilty beyond reasonable doubt of committing the criminal act of assisting and providing funds for an act of terrorism act," said Judge I.B. Jagra, who presided over Andi Hidayat's trial.
The sentences were two to three years lighter than the prosecutors' demand. Previously, state prosecutors had asked for an 18-year sentence for each of the three defendants.
The sentences brought the number of Bali bombing defendants sentenced to prison to four, after the court handed down a death sentence to key defendant Amrozi in August.
Amrozi, who bought the car and chemical materials used in the car bomb explosion, has appealed.
The same court is expected to hand down the sentence of another key defendant, Abdul Azis alias Imam Samudra, on Wednesday. State prosecutors had demanded the death sentence for Imam.
Andi Hidayat, Junaedi, Abdul Rauf alias Sam were charged under Article 13 of the law on terrorism for "providing financial assistance for an act of terrorism" and Article 365 of the Criminal Code on "violent robbery". Both articles carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Andi Hidayat's chief lawyer Rusdianto said they would need a couple of days to decide whether to submit an appeal. A similar stance was taken by Junaedi's chief lawyer Ichwanul Ichwan. The judges gave them one week to deliberate on the verdicts.
"The problem is not on the length of the prison sentence ... but on the inclusion of written testimonies of several 'crown witnesses', whereas we are all aware that those witnesses have refused to testify before the court," Rusdianto said.
Andi Hidayat, Junaedi and Abdul Rauf were known to be very close to Imam Samudra, the field commander in the bombings. It was Imam who provided them with two FN pistols for the robbery.
The robbery took place in Serang, West Java, on Aug. 22, 2002. Using a powerful firecracker as a diversion and armed with the pistols Andi Hidayat, Junaedi, Abdul Rauf and Iqbal robbed the Elita jewelry store and made away with 2.5 kilograms of gold jewelry and Rp 5 million in cash.
Imam was charged with planning, conspiring and organizing the bombings, in which at least 202 people killed, mostly foreigners.
Iqbal was the person who later died in the suicide bombing at Paddy's pub.
They later handed over the jewelry and the cash to Imam Samudra in a meeting in Jakarta's Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal. Imam sold the jewelry for Rp 30 million in Solo, Central Java.
Later on, Imam instructed Abdul Rauf to transfer the Rp 30 million to Amrozi's account. Amrozi was told to use Rp 20 million for buying explosive materials while the remaining Rp 10 million would be used to finance the preparation and operational cost of the bombings.