Prosecutors demand five years for bomb suspect

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Prosecutors demanded on Thursday five years' imprisonment for a terrorist suspect allegedly involved in last year's bombing of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, during the first session of his trial at the South Jakarta District Court.

The defendant, Agus Ahmad, was charged with abetting the perpetrator with the blast -- in which 11 people died including the bomber -- by transporting and hiding explosive materials.

He is also suspected of helping Azahari bin Husin, a Malaysian fugitive believed to be the mastermind behind the blast and the 2002 Bali bombings as well as the 2003 attack on the J.W. Marriott Hotel.

Chief prosecutor Jaya Sakti said he was convinced Agus had been heavily involved in the terrorist act and was deserving of a five-year sentence.

Jaya argued Agus was fully aware the package delivered to him by Iwan Darmawan alias Rois, another suspect in the case, contained explosives.

However, Agus has denied any prior knowledge of the contents of the parcel.

"The materials were stored in his home and then within a week he moved them to his in-laws' house. Afterward, they were again moved to the place where Azahari assembled them into a bomb," Jaya said as quoted by Reuters.

Agus had originally been indicted for helping hide Azahari but the prosecutors dropped the charge because they said that Azahari used an alias and Agus did not know he was wanted for the Bali and Marriott attacks.

The trial was adjourned until next Thursday.

Last week, prosecutors demanded five years' imprisonment for another suspect Irun Hidayat for similar charges.

Separately, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko D.A. announced on Thursday that two terrorist suspects held last week had been officially detained at the National Police Headquarters.

Joni Achmad Fauzani and Solahudin Sutawijaya, who were captured on July 7 and July 8 in Mojokerto, East Java, and Jakarta respectively, were accused of assisting terrorist attacks by hiding Azahari bin Husin and his fugitive accomplice Noordin Moh. Top.

"Based on an arrest warrant issued today (Thursday), we have declared both Fauzani and Solahudin suspects and they have already been officially detained," Soenarko said.

Previously, Fauzani and Solahudin were detained at the National Police Headquarters for seven days as regulated in the antiterror law, which allows police investigators to detain terror suspects without pressing charges.

With Fauzani and Solahudin, the National Police have arrested 15 terrorist suspects linked to the blast outside the Australian Embassy in Kuningan, Jakarta.