Prosecutors seek 10 years for House building bombers

Prosecutors seek 10 years for House building bombers

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta

Prosecutors sought on Wednesday a sentence of 10 years jail for
two Acehnese men on trial at the Central Jakarta District Court
for bombing the House of Representatives compound here in July
last year.

The two defendants -- Aditiawarman alias Adi bin Warman and
Fadli Hasan alias Ifat bin Hasan -- are accused of bombing the
Nusantara IV building located in the House complex in Senayan,
Central Jakarta.

No one was hurt in the blast, which caused minor damage to the
outside of the building. The two men were arrested by the police
a month later.

Prosecutor Erry Satriana told a panel of judges headed by
Judge Putu Widnya that evidence collected by police was
sufficient to charge Aditiawarman with violating Article 6 of Law
No. 15/2003 on terrorism and article 55 of the Criminal Code, as
one of the perpetrators of the bombing.

Erry said Adiatiawarman had also violated Article 1 of Law No.
12/1951 on the state of emergency, for illegally possessing
firearms and explosives.

The bomb had created fear and instability in the country and
had caused damage to a symbol of democracy, he said.

"Therefore, we ask a sentence of 10 years jail, inclusive of
the defendant's detention period," he told the court. "We also
request the defendant remains under state detention."

The maximum sentence for acts of terrorism according to the
new law is the death penalty.

Erry, however, asked the judges to take into consideration the
absence of casualties in the blast. Adiatiawarman had been
cooperative since his arrest and had shown remorse for his acts,
Erry said. This was his first offense.

In a separate trial presided over by Judge Mulyani, Erry put
forth the same charges against Fadli and requested the court give
him the same sentence.

Erry said Fadli was acting on behalf of the Free Aceh Movement
-- the bomb being a protest against the implementation of martial
law in the province.

The government, with approval from the House, declared martial
law in the province in May last year and extended it another six
months, in spite of public concern about human rights abuses by
the Military.

Both trials were adjourned until May 19 to allow the
defendants to prepare their legal responses.