Indonesian deserves death, mufti says

Indonesian deserves death, mufti says

An Egyptian religious leader has refused to intervene on behalf of Indonesian Ali Darman Agustri, who faces the death penalty in Egypt for multiple murder and robbery.

Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Bachtiar Aly quoted Grand Mufti Syeikh Ali Goumah, the head of the Assembly of Darul Ifta as saying that the assembly had no legal authority to cancel the verdict unless it was not decided according to the correct legal procedure.

"In Egyptian positive law, the Assembly of Darul Ifta is a consultative body, in which the court can ask for mufti's opinion, whether a verdict is decided according to Sharia (Islamic law)," the mufti told Bachtiar in a letter.

Bachtiar told Antara in Cairo on Saturday that the Indonesian government had tried to approach related institutions to ask for assistance, but the result remained to be seen.

The Assembly is an influential religious institution that issues fatwas. The grand mufti's rules can sometimes overrule criminal courts.

The speaker of the Indonesia's People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nurwahid also tried to meet with Syeikh Ali Goumah when the former visited Cairo in April, but the mufti was not available for the meeting.

Thirty-five year old Ali Darman was found guilty of killing a Malaysian family of four identified as Muhammad Zaki Ayyub, 27, Muhammad's wife Nur Hayati Bukhari, 27, their daughter Maryam, three, and their son Muaz, 11 months.

Ali Darman also robbed the victims of 40 million Egyptian pounds (US$6.9 million) and burned down the family's house to destroy the evidence.

The Abbsea State Court in East Cairo sentenced Ali Darman to death on April 6. The sentence was then approved by the mufti.

"Based on Islamic law, Ali Darman has been declared guilty of the murder of four persons and therefore the death sentence is the most suitable verdict for him," the mufti said in the trial.

Bachtiar said that Indonesian government would appeal to the Egyptian court of appeal. -- JP