Bombing suspect retracts statement

Bombing suspect retracts statement

DENPASAR, Bali: A key witness in the trial of Bali bombing
suspect Saad, who is charged with harboring and assisting a
wanted terrorist suspect, withdraw on Monday the statement he had
made during police interrogation, claiming that he been forced to
make it.

"I retract my entire statement. I made a confession because
the police forced me to do so. So, please stop asking me about
those things," Hernianto told the court in his testimony.

Hernianto was sentenced to 12 years in prison after the court
found him guilty of aiding and abetting terrorists by allowing
terrorist suspects to hold a meeting to plot the Bali bombings at
his home in the Central Java town of Surakarta.

Previously, prosecutor Eka Swara had repeatedly quoted
Hernianto's statement, which incriminated Saad in the bombings,
which killed 202 people in October last year.

Hernianto stated he had known Saad long before
the bomb attacks and provided shelter for the defendant in his
house.

On Monday, Hernianto insisted that he had never met the
defendant until the two were transferred to Denpasar's Kerobokan
prison. -- JP