Man faces jail for bomb blast

Man faces jail for bomb blast

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta District Court was asked on
Friday to sentence a man to eight months and 15 days in prison
for possessing explosive devices which exploded at a low-cost
apartment in Tanah Tinggi, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 18.

Prosecutor Agus Widodo said the defendant, identified as Agus
Priyono, was guilty of violating Article 1 (1) of the Emergency
Law No. 12/1951 on guns and explosive devices.

The article carries a maximum punishment of death.

"The defendant endangered the lives of people residing in the
apartment," Agus said.

He said besides Priyono, two friends identified as Prayogo and
Cony were involved in the blast. Prayogo and Cony are still at
large.

He said Priyono was invited by Prayogo to visit Jakarta on
Jan. 8 from Surakarta, Central Java, to stay at the apartment.

He stated the three men kept explosive devices, including
eight bottles containing gun powder: 40 lamps and eight boxes of
detonators, at the apartment.

Prayogo, he said, once told the defendant not to keep the
boxes near the stove or even touch them because they could easily
explode.

But a homemade bomb exploded at about 6 p.m. during the
Ramadhan fasting month, when the three men were resting on the
floor waiting to break their fast. (jun)