Jail term demanded for accomplice in Matori case

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutor Abdul Kamar Badrun demanded the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday sentence defendant Achmad Tazul Arifin, 33, the man charged with complicity in the attempted murder of National Awakening Party chairman Matori Abdul Djalil, to a 12-year jail term.

"The defendant has testified in court that the intention (of the attack) was murder and that it was preplanned," Abdul told the hearing at the district court, presided over by judge Munawir.

"He has violated Article 340 and Article 55 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder and complicity respectively, despite the unsuccessful murder attempt."

The prosecutor added that the defendant had also violated Article 1 of the Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on the illegal possession of a weapon.

Article 340 carries a maximum penalty of a death sentence or a 20-year jail term. Article 1 of the Emergency Law No. 12/1951 also carries the death sentence or life imprisonment.

Police have yet to arrest the two main suspects in this case, identified as Zulfikar and Assadullah, both of whom are rumored to be dead.

The defendant had earlier told the police that he and his friend -- the late Tarmo who had attacked Matori -- had acted on the orders of Zulfikar, a person who allegedly knows the motive behind the attack.

City police sources identified Arifin as a member of the radical youth organization, Angkatan Mujahiddin Islam Nusantara (AMIN), then based in Caringin Maseng subdistrict of Cijeruk, Bogor.

The organization had allegedly provided military-style training to its members and planned robberies on several big banks and toll roads in Greater Jakarta to raise funds for its activities and to purchase ammunition.

Arifin and the late Tarmo are suspects in the April 15 Bank Central Asia (BCA) robbery last year which occurred following a bomb blast at the Hayam Wuruk shopping center in West Jakarta. Arifin then went by the alias Piping.

Abdul said that the damning factor was that the defendant had endangered the life of a leader of the nation and was a threat to society.

"The mitigating factors are that the defendant is honest and the victim, Matori, has not demanded anything out of this court."

He also demanded the court return Matori's bloodied sarong and undergarment which Matori was wearing when he was attacked on March 5.

"The rifle used by the defendant should be seized by the court and destroyed," he added.

Munawir adjourned the hearing till next Wednesday, when the court will hear the defense lawyer's response to the prosecutor's demand for a jail term.

Matori had earlier testified as a witness in the trial of Arifin.

Police had confiscated a rifle, an FN gun and a homemade revolver from Arifin's home in the Total Persada Raya housing complex, Jatiuwung district, Tangerang on March 9.

Arifin has not said much about Tarmo alias Sarmo who was lynched by several residents and ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers in the Jagakarsa area for not paying for a ride shortly after the attack. (ylt)