RP envoy home bomb trial

JAKARTA: A defendant in the trial related to the bombing of the Philippines ambassador's residence here three years ago admitted on Monday that it was an act of revenge over the deaths of fellow Muslims in the neighboring country.

Abdul Jabar said at the Central Jakarta District Court that it was Fatur Rohman al-Ghozi who devised the plan and ordered him to drive the minivan loaded with explosives and to park it outside the house in Jl. Imam Bonjol, Menteng.

"I used to sell bottled honey and was also a water vendor ... I was not involved in the planning, but I was told that the original plan was to break through the fence to make sure the ambassador died in the explosion," he said.

Two people were killed when the car-bomb exploded on Aug. 1, 2000, but then ambassador Leonides T. Caday -- who had just arrived in a car, along with 20 other staff and passersby, survived.

Jabar said that he, along with Usman and Sarjio alias Sawad, were told to keep watch, around 200 meters from the crime scene.

"It was a straight order from Hambali who also provided the money," he said.

Hambali, or Riduan Isamuddin, is the alleged top operative of the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist network in Asia and currently under U.S. custody, while al-Ghozi, is now wanted after escaping prison while serving a 17-year jail term in the Philippines for possession of explosives.-JP