Indonesian terror suspect pleads guilty to illegal possession of

Indonesian terror suspect pleads guilty to illegal possession of explosives in Philippines

Agencies General Santos, Philippines

An Indonesian man who allegedly planned a series of almost simultaneous bombings that killed 22 people in Manila in 2000 pleaded guilty on Thursday to illegal possession of explosives and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi entered the plea in the southern Philippine city of General Santos, where the explosives were found earlier this year. He is believed to be a key leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian-based group with suspected links to al-Qaeda.

The group allegedly planned to attack U.S. military personnel and naval vessels as well as the British High Commission, the Israeli Embassy and the Australian High Commission in Singapore.

Al-Ghozi, 31, was arrested in Manila's Quiapo working-class district in January on a tip by Singapore police.

He provided information that led to the discovery of more than a ton of TNT buried in a backyard in General Santos, about 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) southeast of Manila, police officials said. Also found were 300 detonators, six 400-meter rolls of detonating cord and 17 M-16 assault rifles.

Al-Ghozi later told police that he planned the deadly Manila bombings on Dec. 30, 2000, with the help of local and foreign Muslim extremists. The five blasts, which also injured more than 120 people, struck a train, a bus, an abandoned gasoline station, an airport parking area and a park.

Before a packed courtroom that included an Indonesian interpreter and consular official and a top Philippine Justice Department official, Al-Ghozi pleaded innocent to a separate charge of weapons possession. His attorney, Confesor Sansano, asked for reinvestigation of the charge.

Three Filipino men who face the same charges were given an extra week to consider their pleas.

Al-Ghozi was expressionless when he was sentenced hours later. He also was fined 200,000 pesos (US$4,000) and will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.

He faces other charges that prosecutors in Manila said may include multiple counts of murder for the Manila bombings, and was to be arraigned Friday in nearby Zamboanga for alleged passport law violations.

Justice Department undersecretary Manuel Teehankee said prosecutors made no deal with Al-Ghozi, saying the defendant made the decision, after conferring with his father, the Indonesian Embassy and his attorney, because "the evidence was quite strong."

In an affidavit, Al-Ghozi said he suggested the bombings to his companions as retaliation for a military offensive ordered by then-President Joseph Estrada that led to the capture of many camps of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the southern Philippines in 2000.

Al-Ghozi said he plotted the bombings with Hadji Onos, also known as Muklis, whom he identified as a Filipino belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a number of Filipino Muslims, Riduan Isamuddin from Indonesia and a man named Fais from Malaysia.

He said Muklis' men carried out the bombings.

During their meetings, Al-Ghozi said he suggested that no one should get hurt in the attacks.

Three Indonesian men were arraigned earlier this month for alleged involvement in the bombings. They were arrested March 14 at Manila's international airport for alleged possession of explosives as they arrived on a flight from Bangkok for what they claimed was a business meeting.

Police called one of them, Agus Dwikarna, a "confirmed member" of the Jemaah Islamiyah and the prime suspect in the bombings.

In a related development, Jakarta has asked the Philippines to free three Indonesians held for suspected terrorism in a Manila jail, an Indonesian embassy spokesman said on Thursday.

Indonesian ambassador Soeratmin telephoned Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez late Wednesday and sought the release of the trio, also charged with illegal possession of explosives, Indonesian embassy spokesman Triyogo Jatmiko told AFP.

"Based on our understanding, a decision has not been made but there is strong indication they will be released," he said.

Jatmiko said Indonesia had also written a formal letter to the Philippines asking that Tamsil Linrung, Agus Dwikarna and Abdul Jamal Balfas be freed.

Philippine authorities have branded them as suspected terrorists while some groups in Indonesia claimed the case was politically motivated and the trio were detained apparently at Jakarta's request.

Intelligence officials in Manila say the three had reportedly met associates of another Indonesian, al-Ghozi, who on Thursday received a stiff jail term after he pleaded guilty to illegal possession of explosives.

The three had claimed in court earlier this month they had affidavits to prove their innocence even though police claimed they found bomb making materials in their luggage when arrested at Manila airport on March 13.

The three argued they were not given a chance to file their counter-affidavits when they were apprehended.

One of the suspects, businessman Linrung, said he saw police plant bomb-making material and claims he was framed to discredit Indonesian presidential hopeful Amien Rais, reports from Jakarta have said.

Linrung was formerly treasurer of Rais's National Mandate Party.

Rais had accused Philippine police of engineering the arrest of the trio.