Ex-cops gets 2 years for bomb possession

M. Taufiqqurahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The South Jakarta District Court sentenced on Wednesday a former member of the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) to two years in prison for explosives possession, a similar sentence to what the court handed down last week for his wife.

Sahlan, alias Alan, 26, and wife Eni Budiastuti were charged for a foiled bombing attempt on the Jakarta Police headquarters.

"The defendant is guilty of violating Article 1 of the 1951 Emergency Law for illegal arms and explosives possession," presiding judge Tjaroko Imam said in his verdict.

The defendant, who was not accompanied by a lawyer throughout court proceedings, said he accepted the verdict.

The sentence is more lenient than prosecutors' demand of three years imprisonment.

The panel of three judges argued in their verdict that the court did not find the defendant guilty of violating Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism, the primary charges put against him.

As for other incriminating considerations, the judges pointed out that as a former policemen, Alan should have been forewarned about the danger of keeping explosives.

Alan was arrested on May 23, 2003, at his house in Citayam, Depok, south of Jakarta, where the police found two homemade bombs.

The arrest was made after a confession from Eni, who was arrested earlier while trying to plant explosives at the police headquarters on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, on May 10.

The police also confiscated from Eni two letters threatening an attack addressed to the National Police chief and Jakarta Police chief.

Eni was sentenced for her role in the aborted bombing attempt.

Alan confessed he came into possession of the bombs when he was assigned to the conflict-torn Maluku province in 2001, merely as a token of his brief stint in the force.