Jail sentences handed down for Ramayana store bombing

JAKARTA (JP): A Central Jakarta District Court judge sentenced on Friday the two main defendants in the January bombing of the Ramayana department store on Jl. Sabang in Central Jakarta to jail sentences of one year and six months each.

Presiding judge Endang Sri Sumarsih said defendants Rosalin Handayani and Yan Pieterson Manussama were found guilty of the prosecutors' secondary indictment that they had instructed an eight-member gang to bomb the store on Jan. 2 this year.

"The defendants persuaded other people to commit a crime, to bomb the store, a violation of article 55 of the Criminal Code," said judge Endang in a packed hearing session.

Prosecutor Tonny Sinai had earlier demanded in his primary indictment that the two defendants be sentenced to two years in jail for carrying and possessing explosive materials. Tonny indicted the defendants under Article 1 of the 1951 Emergency Law, which carries a 20-year jail sentence.

Judge Endang rejected the prosecutors primary indictment in which they argued that the defendants carried and possessed the explosive materials.

"The prosecutors have failed to prove their primary indictment. The defendants were only guilty of persuading people to bomb the building," she said.

Judge Endang said first defendant Rosalin, a director at security system company PT Technodev, had acted on an order from the former state Bank Dagang Negara's Employees Welfare Foundation. The judge said Rosalin had been told to appropriate a 3,000-square-meter plot on Jl. Sabang, where the department store building was located, at a cost of Rp 14 billion (US$1.75 million).

She said Rosalin requested assistance from second defendant Yan Pieterson Manussama to appropriate the land.

"It was Yan Pieter who had the idea of bombing the building. He related the bombing idea to Rosalin, who later agreed with the proposal," she said.

Judge Endang said Yan Pieter, who was promised a fee from the foundation by Rosalin, later asked gang leader Amir Hamzah to organize the blast.

She said Yan Pieter promised Hamzah's group Rp 100 million if the group succeeded in destroying the building.

Judge Endang said Rosalin and Yan Pieter attempted in March 1997 to win city administration approval for the building's demolition.

She said that although the city administration rejected the defendants' bid, Rosalin ordered Yan Pieter in May 1997 to proceed with the plan.

"Yan Pieter then ordered Amir's gang to bomb the building, which was later carried out on Jan. 2."

After hearing the verdict, the defendants' lawyers, Syarief Siregar and Sammy Kikilaitety, vowed to file appeals to the Jakarta High Court.

Prosecutor Tonny also conceded at the end of the hearing that he would file an appeal to the High Court. He said the sentences he had sought for the two defendants were too low.

Three gang members Satilan, Giyono and Sundah are currently facing separate trials. Other gang members -- Amir Hamzah, Mukri, Mardi, Abdul Rosid and Suud -- are still at large. (asa)