Police hand over files of bomb to prosecutor

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police submitted on Wednesday the case files on two suspects in the Marriott hotel bombing, Tohir and Ismail, to the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.

National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said the suspects would remain in police detention rather than being transferred to a penitentiary, even though their files had already been handed over to the prosecutor's office.

"The police still need information from them regarding other suspects," he said.

The police recently detained another suspect in the bombing, Amran bin Mansur, alias Andi Saputra, in Surakarta, Central Java. Soenarko said Amran was still being questioned.

Now that they have received the case files, the prosecutor's office will begin preparing for the suspects' trials in the South Jakarta District Court.

Tohir and Ismail were arrested late last year in Cirebon, Central Java. The pair are alleged to have made the bomb used in the attack.

They will be the third and fourth suspects in the Marriott bombing to be tried, following the prosecution of Sardona Siliwangi and Mohammad Rais.

The first to go on trial was Sardona Siliwangi, who was found guilty on Feb. 26 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The 23-year-old man was found guilty of accepting and storing explosives for use in an act of terrorism. The sentence was five year less than what prosecutors were demanding.

Mohammad Rais, alias Edi Endra, is currently on trial at the South Jakarta District Court. The 29-year-old man is being charged under Law. No. 15/2003 on terrorism.

Rais is said to have helped the main suspects in the bombing, Dr. Azahari and Noordin Moh. Top, to gather the explosives.

The Marriott hotel bombing occurred on Aug. 5, 2003, killing 12 people and injuring 147 others.

Dr. Azahari and Noordin Moh. Top are still on the run after having eluded several attempts to arrest them.