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.