Prosecutor demands sentence for Istiqlal Grand Mosque bomber

JAKARTA (JP): A government prosecutor demanded on Monday that the Central Jakarta District Court sentence Surya Setiawan, the defendant in a bomb blast at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque in April.

"The defendant detonated the bomb along with suspects Jamhuri Litanahu, Nurly, alias Rully, Suradi, Semi Sedubun, Atin and Uci on April 19," the prosecutor, Hasan Madani, told a trial presided by Judge Rasjadi Salmun.

The six suspects would soon be indicted in separate trials, he said.

He said the defendant and his group members targeted the Amanah cooperative office, located on the ground floor of the mosque, as the site of the bomb explosion.

The prosecutor said the defendant, who was jobless, had illegally possessed and used explosive materials, a violation to Article 55 of the Criminal Code and Article 1 of Law No. 12/1951 on State Emergency.

"The defendant possessed and used the explosive material without permission from state authority," Hasan said.

The 1951 Law on State Emergency says that a person possessing and detonating explosive materials may face a death sentence.

The prosecutor said the bomb explosion severely damaged the wall of the mosque's ground floor, while all windows belonging to the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Indonesian Islamic Women's Organization Conference (BMOIWI) were shattered. The explosion also injured five people.

He said the 26-year-old defendant was requested by five unidentified people to carry out the bombing.

"The group picked up the defendant in front of the Gambir Railway Station on April 14, and threatened to kill him and his family members if he did not cooperate with them," he said.

He said the defendant surrendered to the threats and later asked the six other suspects to join and discuss the bombing of the mosque.

"The defendant promised the six suspects some money from the leader of the group who picked him up if the bombing was successful. The meeting was held at his house in Tangerang on April 15," he said.

On April 18, the defendant received orders from the group leader to set a date for the bombing, he said.

The defendant and the six suspects then carried out the bombing on April 19, he said.

"The defendant told Rully how to activate the bomb on the mosque's ground floor, while the others got into position around the mosque at the time of the explosion," Hasan said.

The prosecutor said the Police's Forensic Laboratory concluded that the bomb used in the April bombing was the most powerful type.

Presiding Judge Rasjadi adjourned the trial until next week to hear Surya's defense statement.

The bombing stirred controversy amid the heightened political tension prior to the June 7 election.

Police are still pursuing the mastermind behind the bombing. (asa)