Court opens terror trials in Medan
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra
The trials of 11 Acehnese separatists charged with committing acts of terror over the past year started on Monday in Medan, North Sumatra, amid tight security.
Police deployed 100 armed personnel to secure the trials at the Medan District Court, where visitors had to undergo security checks prior to entering the building.
The 11 defendants, including Manaf Abdi, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) commander overseeing Medan and Deli in North Sumatra, are being tried in three separate trials.
Others on trial include Manaf's deputy Muhammad Yahya alias Abu Teming, local GAM treasurer Mustafa Halim alias Cik Lim, fund-raiser Tengku Zainal alias Ismail, and intelligence members Abdullah Sulaiman alias Daulay, Ridwan alias M. Yusuf, and Anwar Adam.
Also standing trial are GAM members Cut Syarifah, Musliadi, T. Johan, Said Azhar and Masrul alias Nasrul.
The trials started at around 10 a.m. with the team of prosecutors, led by Mardiana Sianturi, reading out the charges against the defendants.
Manaf Abdi said he was an Indonesian citizen when asked by presiding judge Abis Saleh Mendrova about his citizenship.
The prosecutors said Manaf should be held responsible for explosions at the Medan mayor's office, a gas pipeline belonging to state oil company Pertamina in Belawan regency and the ASEAN International Hotel.
The terror attacks were launched upon the orders of Manaf, they stated.
Manaf and five other defendants -- Ridwan, Anwar Adam, Johan, Masrul, Cut Syarifah and Musliadi -- could face the death penalty if found guilty.
They are charged with violating Article 1 of Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism for their alleged roles in the bombings of the Medan mayor's office on March 31, 2003, and of the Pertamina pipeline on April 1, 2003.
The remaining five defendants -- Mustafa Halim, Tengku Zainal, Abdullah Sulaiman, Muhammad Yahya and Musliadi -- are accused of being responsible for a grenade explosion at the ASEAN International Hotel on Aug. 17, 2001.
They could be jailed for up to 15 years on charges of breaching Article 187 of the Criminal Code.
Musliadi has been charged with detonating the grenade and harboring a suspect, Said Azhar, in the blasts at the Medan mayor's office and the Pertamina pipeline.
The prosecutors said Musliadi had received Rp 300,000 (US$35) from Manaf to hide Azhar and a Rp 500,000 payment for hurling the grenade.
They said the terror attacks in Medan cost around Rp 43 million, which they claim was handed to North Sumatra GAM treasurer Mustafa Halim by Manaf.
The trials were adjourned until Thursday to hear witness testimonies.