Death sentences demanded for bombing suspects
Death sentences demanded for bombing suspects
JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor demanded on Wednesday the death
sentence for two former army officers for their suspected
involvement in last year's bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange
(JSX) building.
Prosecutor Soejitno presented the sentence request during the
trial of Irwan, 30, an ex-chief sergeant of the Army's Special
Force (Kopassus) and Ibrahim Hasan, 31, an ex- second corporal of
the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), in South Jakarta
District Court.
He told the joint tribunal involving civilian and military
judges that Irwan was facing a possible death sentence for
assembling, delivering and planting the bomb at the JSX building.
Irwan, along with another defendant in the case, Nuryadin,
attempted an escape from Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta on
July 28. Nuryadin managed to escape, but Irwan was rearrested.
Ibrahim escaped from jail last month and is still at large.
Last week, another prosecutor demanded a life sentence for
Nuryadin and a death sentence for the alleged mastermind of the
bombing, Tengku Ismuhadi, the owner of Krung Baro auto repair
shop in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.
Prosecutor Soejitno told the court, which was presided over by
judge Purwono, that both Irwan and Ibrahim had violated Article
1, paragraph 1 of Emergency Law No. 12/1951 for the unlawful
possession and use of ammunitions or explosive material.
The prosecutor said Ismuhadi had told Irwan that they had some
30 bars of the explosive RDX (cyclotrimethylene trinitramine),
but Irwan asked for more explosives to make the bomb.
Soejitno quoted Irwan as saying that to make a high explosive
bomb, it would be better to use 49 bars.
The explosives were purchased by Ibrahim, who, along with the
other suspects, assembled the bomb and planted it at the
designated target, Soejitno said.
He said Ibrahim bought the explosives from a place in the
Cililitan area of East Jakarta and delivered them to Ismuhadi's
Krung Baro auto repair shop in the Ciganjur area of South
Jakarta.
Ten people were killed and 46 more were injured in the blast
at the JSX building on Sept. 13, 2000. The disaster also damaged
174 cars and some parts of the building.
"The defendants' actions created public unrest, ruined
national security and the economy, endangered people's lives, and
resulted in many fatalites and huge material losses," prosecutor
Soejitno said.
He added that the defendants had made conflicting statements,
denied the allegations and refused to apologize.
After Wednesday's session of the trial, Irwan told reporters
that it was up to the judges to decide whether they would impose
a death sentence. However, he denied his involvement in the JSX
bombing.
"I leave everything up to God," he remarked calmly.
The trial will be adjourned until next Wednesday to hear the
defense arguments.(04)