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)