LAKSAMANA.Net, June 22, 2004 01:58 AM
Militants Jailed Over Terror Plot
Laksamana.Net - South Jakarta District Court has convicted two members of regional
terrorism network Jemaah Islamiyah of involvement in a plot to attack Western
targets.
In separate sessions on Monday (21/6/04), the court sentenced Ahmad Sofyan alias
Tamim to five years in jail and Solihin alias Rofi to three and a half years.
Sofyan was found guilty of participating in a "sinister conspiracy" to launch attacks by
attending several Jemaah Islamiyah meetings in early 2003, judge Syaifuddin was
quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.
He said the sentence was lighter than the 15 years demanded by prosecutors
because they had failed to prove their main charge that Sofyan had engaged in acts of
terrorism.
Judges said Sofyan belonged to a Jemaah Islamiyah team in charge of bomb-making
but the team had not carried out any attacks.
Sofyan, who led the Jakarta branch of Jemaah Islamiyah's military wing, was arrested
after the August 2003 suicide bombing at Jakarta's JW Marriott Hotel that killed 12
people.
Solihin was found guilty of conspiring to conduct terror attacks on Western interests.
Prosecutors said he had attended several Jemaah Islamiyah meetings in early 2003
and was appointed to survey targets.
One of those targets was an East Jakarta branch of Bank Central Asia (BCA), which
is majority-owned by US-based Farallon Capital Management.
Prosecutors had recommended a 10 year sentence for Solihin. Both the prosecutors
and Solihin were yet to decide whether to appeal the three and a half year sentence.
'Assassin Squad Also Targeting Indonesian Officials'
National Police chief General Dai Bachtiar said Monday that terrorists in the country
were not only targeting foreign diplomats and business executives but also prominent
Indonesian officials.
"The information that we received said the attacks were not only against certain
foreigners, not only certain diplomats, but also against public officials including the
Indonesian National Police chief," he was quoted as saying by AFP.
He said the information from foreign intelligence said cells that had previously carried
out bombings were now targeting individuals.
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