Malaysian stands trial for church bombing

Malaysian stands trial for church bombing

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A Malaysian appeared in the East Jakarta District Court for the
first time in connection with the bombing of Santa Anna Catholic
Church, that left one person dead and 60 others injured on July
22, 2001.

Defendant Nor Misuari, alias Nurdin, was charged with the
illegal possession and use of explosives in relation to the blast
in the church on Jl. Arafuru, Pondok Bambu, East Jakarta.

Prosecutor Nurlini, in her indictment, said the defendant had
illegally possessed and used RDX (Research Development Formula
Explosive) and TNT (Tri Nitro Toluen) in the bombing.

"The defendant violated the 1951 Emergency Law on illegal
explosive possession and was involved in a bomb attack that
claimed the life of an innocent victim."

If convicted, the defendant can be sentenced to death.

Nurlini said Misuari assembled the bomb and selected the
church as the target while accomplice Asep, alias Abdulah, who is
still at large, detonated the bomb.

In the indictment, the prosecutor recounted the Christmas
bombings in 2000 involving Imam Samudra, who was sentenced to
death by the Denpasar District Court last month for his role in
last year's Bali bombings that left 202 people dead.

The bombings are believed to have been in revenge for the
deaths of Muslims in the bloody sectarian conflict in Maluku.

The trial was adjourned to Oct. 29 to hear the defense.