Man gets nine years for Bandung bombing

BANDUNG (JP): The Bandung District Court handed down on Thursday a nine-year jail term to 23-year-old Agus Kurniawan for his role in a bomb blast in Bandung which killed four people last Christmas Eve.

"The defendant has been found guilty of illegally possessing, keeping and using explosives, which violates Paragraph 1, Article 1 of Emergency Law No. 12/1951 and Paragraph 1, Article 55 of the Indonesian Criminal Code," presiding judge Hazli Saleh said. "The offenses are subject to the death penalty."

The defendant, dressed in black, broke out in sobs when the verdict was read, while his mother and sisters, also wearing black, burst into tears as the judge read the verdict.

The nine-year jail term was six years lighter than what the prosecutors were seeking. Six months were reduced from the jail term for time the defendant had served in detention.

According to the judge, Agus was aware of the plan to bomb a church in Bandung on Christmas Eve. The bomb, however, accidentally exploded at a house on Jl. Antapani owned by Aceng Suhari, who was tried hours earlier in the same courtroom.

The judge said Agus worked with Roni Miliar, 21, who survived the blast, and Wawan, who was killed in the blast.

"According to witnesses, Agus had gone frequently to the house with Roni since Dec. 18, and was at the scene of the accident when the bomb exploded on Dec. 24. Agus earlier admitted that he, Roni and Wawan were each paid Rp 50,000 by a man named Akim (who was killed in the blast) to scout three churches on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Achmad Yani and Jl. Diponegoro on Dec. 23 and 24, 2000," the judge said.

A state prosecutor, Samiun Yahya, earlier asked the Bandung District Court to sentence Roni to 15 years in prison for his part in the incident.

Police believe the Bandung bombing is linked with blasts at churches in other towns on Christmas Eve.

"An aggravating factor is that the defendant has denied all involvement and refused to discuss what he knows of the bombing plan. He has shown no feelings of remorse," said judge Hazli.

After meeting with his lawyers, Agus said he would appeal the verdict.

Several hours earlier, Aceng Suhari was tried in the same courtroom.

State prosecutor Azizul Hakim asked the court, presided over also by judge Hazli Saleh, to sentence Aceng, 57, to five years in prison for his involvement in the bombing.

According to the prosecutor, the fact that the bomb exploded in a house owned by Aceng on Jl. Antapani was proof that the defendant was involved in the bombing plan.

The trial was adjourned until July 5.

The trial of another defendant in the Bandung bombing case, Iqbal, 40, was adjourned on Thursday because the prosecutor was not ready to present his sentencing demand. (25/sur)