Man convicted of involvement in Makassar bombings released

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar

Hamid Razzaq, 64, one of 12 terror suspects convicted of bombing a McDonald's outlet and a car dealership in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar in 2002, has been released after the Supreme Court acquitted him of all charges, prosecutors said on Thursday.

He was allowed to leave the Makassar penitentiary at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday before serving out a two-year jail term handed down in December for his alleged role in the Dec. 5, 2002 bombings.

Makassar Prosecutor's Office director of general crimes Dadang Darussalam delivered the Supreme Court's decision to the penitentiary warden.

The Makassar District Court had found Hamid guilty of concealing information on the explosives used in the blasts, and sent him to jail on Oct. 23, 2003.

The verdict was upheld by the South Sulawesi High Court on Dec. 31, 2003.

But the Supreme Court accepted Hamid's appeal on July 16, and ordered his release.

A Supreme Court panel of three judges led by Iskandar Kamil said Hamid was not guilty of the charges laid by prosecutors and that he must be freed.

The judges also ordered the restoration of Hamid's good name and reputation.

Hamid is the father of Agung Abdul Hamid, the suspected mastermind of the Makassar terror attack, which killed three people. Agung has remained at large since the incident, along with his alleged accomplice, Hizbullah Rasyid.

The acquitted prisoner had been convicted of violating Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 1/2002 on terrorism for concealing information about the bomb plot.

Prosecutors also charged Hamid with knowing that three plastic bags of TNT were hidden in his home in Barru regency, South Sulawesi, in March 2001, but failed to report this to the police.

The TNT was alleged to have been left over after the making of the bombs for the attacks on the McDonald's outlet and the car dealership, which was owned by vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla.

Hamid argued that he had not lived at the house since June 2001 as he had moved to Pare-Pare.

"This evidence was not taken into consideration by the judges in the district and high courts when they convicted our client," Hamid's lawyer, Adnan Buyung Aziz, said, adding that these courts had only listened the testimony of one witness, Ilham Riyadi.

Adnan and a colleague picked up Hamid when he was released from jail.

"I thank God. It's true, I'm really innocent," Hamid said, commenting on his release.

He also said that he had suffered heart palpitations after he heard of his surprise acquittal.

Hamid promised to continue helping with the police search for his fugitive son, Agung Abdul Hamid, and appealed to him to surrender and to make retribution for what he had done.

Agung's younger brother, Imal Hamid, was also convicted of involvement in the same terror attacks in Makassar, and was sentenced to six years in jail.

Adnan said on Wednesday that he would sue the police, prosecutors and judges for conspiring to put his client in jail.

The planned lawsuit would be launched after Hamid recovered from his heart palpitations, the lawyer added.