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December 29, 2005

Indonesia: Trial of Suspected Jemaah Islamiyah Islamist

Italian news agency AKI reports that the trial began today of a man who is suspected of receiving funds from a Saudi national for the purposes of terror operations. He is also accused of supplying pistols to a leading terrorist, who is currently on the run, who had involvement with the bombing (pictured) of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. This took place on Thursday, September 9, 2004. The blast killed 11 people and was the handiwork of Jemaah Islamiyah.

A district court in South Jakarta was told that Abdullah Sonata, aged 27, gave a box of four handguns and ammunition to Noordin Mohammed Top a main financier and recruiter for Jemaah Islamiyah, the group responsible also for both sets of bombings in Bali from 2002 and October 1 this year.

Prosecutor Nana Mulyana also claims that Sonata received 11 million rupiah ($15,000 US) and 100,000 Saudi riyals ($36,500) last year, from a Saudi named Syeikh Abu Muhammad.

The money was to be used to finance militant operations and also to send to JI Islamists hiding in the southern Philippine islands. These include Dulmatin and Umar Patek, who respectively have bounties of $10 million and $1 million on their heads from the US State Department's Rewards for Justice scheme.

Sonata was accused of helping the Malaysian-born Jemaah Islamiyah bomb-maker Azahari bin Husin to find a rented house to hide in. Azahari was killed on November 9 at Batu village near Malang on the island of Java.

Sonata's arrest was initially in connection with inquiries into the Australian Embassy vehicle-bomb suicide attack. He could face the death penalty if convicted. He is only the latest to be placed on trial for complicity in the Embassy attack. Already 12 others have been convicted, and some have been sentenced to death. The most recent of these was Iwan Darmawan, who was sentenced to death on September 14. Darmawan said after his conviction: ""I am grateful to Allah for this punishment because it means I will die a martyr. Why should I be afraid?"

On November 23 three people were arrested on northern Java and held as suspects involved in the Embassy attack.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 29, 2005 10:10 PM

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