Jail sentences handed down for Ramayana store bombing

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)