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