Witnesses tell of Amrozi's chemical purchases

Witnesses tell of Amrozi's chemical purchases

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

More witnesses provided on Thursday evidence pointing to Amrozi's
key role in last year's Bali bombings, saying the defendant
purchased materials for the explosives that killed over 200
people.

Two employees of Surabaya-based Tidar Kimia chemical shop
testified that Amrozi purchased a large quantity of chemical
materials on three separate occasions ahead of the bombings in
Bali.

Supomo, 36, and Fauzi, 26, told the court they both served the
defendant during his visits to the store. The defendant bought
a total of 2,000 kilograms of potassium chlorate, the base
compound used in firecrackers, sparklers and fireworks, and 50
kilograms of aluminum powder. Amrozi also purchased sulfur, but
the witnesses could not give the exact quantity.

"He (Amrozi) bought 20 bags of potassium chlorate on the
first visit. Later on, he bought another 20 bags and finally 40
bags. Each bag weighed around 25 kilograms," Supomo said.

He said he helped Amrozi carry 80 kilograms of the chemical
and loaded them into the defendant's Mitsubishi L-300 minivan.

Police investigators found residues of potassium chlorate,
TNT, RDX and PETN at the site of the Sari Club, where the most
devastating of the three bombs of Oct. 12, 2002 exploded.

Previously, suspect Ali Imron confessed before police
interrogators that potassium chlorate was the primary substance
used in the bombs.

Both Supomo and Fauzi said they were unaware of Amrozi's
intentions for the bulk purchase of potassium chlorate. They were
also unaware that their employer Sylvester Tendean had registered
the sale as benzoate on the invoice.

Sylvester was sentenced to seven months in prison by the
Surabaya District Court for falsifying the invoice.

A total of eight witnesses testified on Thursday before the
court. The trial was adjourned until Monday, when more witnesses
would be called.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors in the trial of suspected
field commander Abdul Aziz, alias Imam Samudra, rejected the
defendant's argument against the retroactive principle applied in
his case.

Prosecutors insisted that the retroactivity of the Law on
Terrorism was applicable, as the crime with which Samudra was
being charged was extraordinary and categorized as a crime
against humanity.

"In this case, the retroactivity of the Law on Terrorism is
valid in order to fulfill the public's demand for justice,"
prosecutor Putu Supartha Jaya told the court.

He also dismissed the defense's objection that the Denpasar
District Court had no authority to try Samudra on the Batam
bombing nor on the robbery of the jewelry shop in Serang, West
Java.

"The Minister of Justice and Human Rights has officially
authorized this court to do so," he said.

In another related trial, defendants Rauf, Junaedi, Andi
Hidayat and Andri Octavia also objected to the use of
retroactivity in their trial and questioned the authority of the
court.

"The crime took place in Serang, so this court has no
authority to try the case," defense lawyer Bayu Srijaya told the
court.

The four defendants, known as members of the Serang Group, are
charged with deliberately raising or providing funds for
terrorist activities. They are also accused of robbing the Elita
jewelry shop in Serang in August 2002.

The Bali Police moved on Thursday 23 suspects in the Bali
bombing case to Kerobokan penitentiary as the renovation of the
building had been completed. Previously, the suspects had been
detained at police stations in Denpasar, Tabanan, Gianyar, Mengwi
and Tohpati.

Key suspects Amrozi, Imam Samudra, Ali Gufron and Ali Imron
are to remain in the custody of Bali Police headquarters for
security reasons.