Court convicts terror accomplices

Court convicts terror accomplices

JAKARTA: Three men were found guilty on Tuesday of aiding
wanted terrorist suspects Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohd Top,
who are both currently still on the run, to avoid arrest, and for
failing to inform the authorities as to their whereabouts.

The South Jakarta District Court sentenced Bagus Budi Pranoto
and Luthfi Haidaroh to three-and-a-half years in jail each, while
Son Hadi was jailed for four years.

The judicial panel said the three were guilty beyond
all reasonable doubt of violating the antiterrorism law,
which carries a maximum penalty of death. Police arrested them
following the bomb attack on the JW Marriot Hotel in South
Jakarta in August 2003.

Although rejecting the verdict, the convicted defendants said
they would not appeal it.

Azahari and Noordin have also been accused of masterminding
the Bali bombings in 2002 and the attack on the Australian
Embassy in Jakarta last September. -- Antara