Suspected bomber met gang leader: Maid

Suspected bomber met gang leader: Maid

JAKARTA (JP): A witness in the case of the January bombing of
the Ramayana Department Store on Jl. Sabang in Central Jakarta
testified on Tuesday that defendant Rosalina Handayani twice met
with suspected gang leader Amir Hamzah before the bombing on Jan.
3.

Narti binti Salim, Rosalina's maid, said through a written
statement during a hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court
the defendant met Amir on Dec. 24 and Jan. 2.

Narti was unable to attend the hearing and her written
testimony was read by prosecutor Tonny Sinai.

Rosalina and another defendant, Yan Pieter, have been accused
of masterminding the bomb blast.

"I saw a man named Amir come to Ibu Rosalina's house on Jl.
Hayam Wuruk in West Jakarta twice, but I knew nothing about his
relationship with her," Narti said in her statement, adding that
she did not know the results of the meetings.

She said Amir came alone to the first meeting, but was
accompanied by two other men at the second meeting.

Rosalina, president of private firm PT Technodev, told judges
she agreed with the witness' testimony, but with minor
corrections.

"The first meeting was on Dec. 28, not Dec. 24," she said.

She said she did not know the two other men who accompanied
Amir to the second meeting.

Another witness, Pranggono, was also unable to attend
Tuesday's trial and the prosecutor also read out his written
testimony.

The 52-year-old Pranggono, a lawyer, is an acquaintance of
Rosalina and Yan Pieter.

He said the two defendants discussed with him their plan to
demolish the Unelen building which is next to Ramayana during a
meeting in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, at the end of last year.

Pranggono did not provide details of the meeting, but stressed
that the defendants did not say anything about bombing the
Ramayana building.

"The two defendants only talked about how to appropriate -- in
a legal manner -- the Unelen building," Pranggono's said in his
testimony.

In a previous court session, Satilan, a member of Amir's gang,
said the gang received Rp 40 million (US$5,710) from Rosalina to
blow up the three-story building.

Amir and Mukri, another alleged gang member, are still at
large.

The Ramayana building, which is located directly behind the
bank, had been on the land for years and the bombing was meant to
force the owners to vacate the building, Tonny said.

Tonny said the foundation promised to pay Rosalina Rp 14
billion if she appropriated the land.

He said Rosalina asked Pieter, who was involved with a youth
organization specializing in land appropriation, to help her
obtain the land. Pieter then contacted Amir and asked him to bomb
the building, Tonny said.

Presiding judge Endang Sumarsih adjourned the trial until
Friday, at which time the court will hear testimony from
witnesses, including Pieter's wife Conny. (asa)