Prosecutor demands death sentence for JSX bombing suspect
Prosecutor demands death sentence for JSX bombing suspect
JAKARTA (JP): An auto repair shop owner is facing a possible
death sentence for allegedly masterminding last year's bombing of
the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building, which killed 10 people
and injured 46 others.
The sentence request was presented on Monday by prosecutor
Endang Rachwan during the trial of Tengku Ismuhadi Jafar, 30, and
his employee Nuryadin, alias Nadin, 29, in South Jakarta District
Court.
Nuryadin, who escaped from prison last month, is facing a
possible life sentence for assembling and delivering the bomb to
the JSX building.
The prosecutor told the court, which was presided over by
judge Rusman Dhani Achmad, that the defendants had violated
Article 1 paragraph 1 of Emergency Law No. 12/1951 for possessing
and using ammunitions or explosive material.
That the defendants had ruined national stability, caused
public disorder and had given conflicting statements were some
factors which strengthened the sentence request, according to the
prosecutor.
Jafar, who looked calm during the trial, said that basically
there was nothing he could do but leave the decision to the
judges.
However, he insisted that he was not involved in the JSX
bombing and that he rejected the sentence.
When asked about the death sentence demand, Jafar remarked,
"Everyone is afraid to face death, but if the judges decide so,
is there anything I can do?"
The JSX bombing, which took place on Sept. 13, 2000 shocked
the public, since it happened in the national financial center.
The rupiah weakened against the dollar afterward, reaching Rp
11,000 from a previous Rp 9,000.
According to the prosecutor, on Sept. 12 the defendant
withdrew Rp 200 million from the Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta,
branch of Bank BNI to buy dollars.
High explosive bombs, which contained TNT (trinitrotoluene)
and RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), were used in the JSX
building blast, according to the prosecutor.
Jafar, the owner of Krung Baro auto repair shop in Ciganjur,
South Jakarta and Nuryadin, allegedly committed the JSX bombing
along with at least six other alleged accomplices, namely,
Ibrahim Abdul Wahab, Ibrahim Hasan, Irwan, Sayed Mustofa, Tengku
Rayang Rayang and Zulfkifli.
Ibrahim Abdul Wahab escaped jail in February while Ibrahim
Hasan, a member of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command
(Kostrad), managed to escape in July.
Two other defendants, Nuryadin and a member of the Army's
Special Force (Kopassus) Chief Sgt. Irwan, tried to escape from
Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta on July, 28. Nuryadin held
a guard at gunpoint with a grenade in his hand, while the other
suspect also held a grenade. However, only Nuryadin managed to
get away, while Irwan was arrested.
The case will be adjourned until next Monday to hear the
defense from both the defendant and his lawyer, Paskalis Pieter.
(04)