The Jakarta Post, December 10, 2004
More witnesses deny Ba'asyir role in bombings
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Prosecutors' efforts to implicate Abu Bakar Ba'asyir in two major bombings in the
country hit further snags on Thursday as six convicted militants denied ever being
directed or encouraged to engage in terrorism by the Muslim cleric.
The six witnesses, who have received prison terms for their involvement in a number of
bomb attacks, also denied knowledge about the cleric's role in Jamaah Islamiyah (JI),
an al-Qaeda-linked regional terror group blamed for a series of bombings in the
country.
Some of them even claimed to have no idea at all about the organization.
The six, with an addition of a victim witness, were all called by the prosecution.
"This is a complete waste. Ever since this trial began, none of their witnesses have
been able to link Ba'asyir with the attacks. The prosecutors have failed, yet they're
still forcing it," Ba'asyir's lawyer, M. Assegaff, said.
Thursday's hearing was the third to hear testimony from witnesses, with most of them
admitting they had known Ba'asyir but claiming they had never been assisted by him.
A total of 18 out of the planned 76 prosecution witnesses have been called to the
stand so far.
Ba'asyir is accused of inciting his followers to carry out terrorist attacks, including the
2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people and the 2003 attack on the JW Marriott
Hotel in South Jakarta, which claimed 12 lives.
He was cleared last year by the Central Jakarta District Court of leading JI, but was
declared guilty of immigration offenses and given 18 months in jail.
The cleric was directly rearrested as soon as his prison term ended in April after
police said they had new evidence on his involvement in JI and the bomb attacks.
Among those called to the stand on Thursday were Bali bomber Idris alias
Mohammad Iksan, and Rusman Gunawan, the younger brother of alleged top JI
member Riduan Ishamuddin or Hambali, who is now in U.S. custody.
Gunawan told the court he stopped in Malaysia on his way to Pakistan and heard
Ba'asyir give a sermon in November 1999. But when asked if the cleric incited jihad,
or holy war, Gunawan replied, "Not once. The speech only touched upon the
importance of praying and fasting."
Also called to testify were Adhi Suryana alias Qittal, Hutomo alias Abu Farouk and
Sanusi Farid Mustofa, all of whom have been convicted for either funding or harboring
fugitive terrorist suspects.
Chief prosecutor Salman Maryadi, however, remained optimistic of winning the case,
saying there were a number of key witnesses still to come who would prove beyond
doubt Ba'asyir's involvement in terror activities.
"These are just the preliminaries. We have a group of witnesses who will affirm
everything we have accused him of. Today, we know that JI does exist and it has
structural posts," he said.
Salman refused to comment, however, on Assegaff's statement that the witnesses
had actually never known about JI until the police informed them about it and planted
the idea in their heads.
The presiding judge, Sudarto, adjourned the trial until Dec. 16, when more prosecution
witnesses will be called.
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