Trial begins for GAM members accused of House blast

Trial begins for GAM members accused of House blast

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two suspected members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) attended
their first hearings on Wednesday at the Central Jakarta District
Court for their roles in a blast last July that damaged a
building at the House of Representatives (DPR)/People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Adityawarman, alias Adit bin Warman, 23, and Fadli Hasan,
alias Ifat bin Hasan, 44, have been charged under Law No. 15/2003
on terrorism for carrying out acts of terror that caused public
fear and destruction of vital objects. They have also been
charged with illegal possession of ammunition and explosives.

They could face the death sentence if convicted.

In its indictment, the prosecution accused Adityawarman of
assembling the bomb used to blow up the DPR/MPR building, and
accused Fadli of transporting the explosives from their rented
house in East Bekasi to the government compound.

"The blast that ripped through the rolling door of the central
air-conditioning control room (in the Nusantara IV building)
severely damaged one of the buildings in the compound and raised
security issues at government facilities," prosecutor Fentje
Eloway said.

He said the July 14, 2003 blast and a possible attack on
commuter trains in the capital were intended to show the
government and the public the real strength of GAM.

The prosecution also said the accused were part of a small
group of seven GAM members. Five other members of the group --
Ayah Banta, Muda Belia, Rijil, Maulana and Juhri -- are still at
large.

Adityawarman and Fadli were arrested separately three weeks
after the blast at a rented house in Perumnas III, East Bekasi,
and police confiscated three bombs that were ready to be planted.

Police have linked the two with two earlier bombings in April
-- one at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and one near the
United Nations representative office in Jakarta.

The residual materials at the April blast sites, including
metal cylinders used as the casings for the explosives, were
similar to those found at the site of the DPR/MPR blast.

The bombing took place a few weeks before the Assembly held
its Annual Session from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10.

Lawyer Ramsudin Manullang told the press after the court
session that he was appointed the defense's legal counsel on
Wednesday, and had received the indictment just before the
session opened.

"I still have not received their case files," he said.

Ramsudin asked presiding judge I Putu Widnya to adjourn the
trial for two weeks -- a common time since the case is submitted
to the court to its first trial -- to give him time to study the
case files, but Putu turned down the request.

The trial has been adjourned until Feb. 12, when the defense's
plea will be heard.