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Abu
Jihad murder case to be tried in Ambon, police say
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The
Jakarta Post
June
12, 2003
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Abu Jihad murder case to be
tried in Ambon, police say
National News - June 12, 2003
Muhammad Azis Tunny, The
Jakarta Post, Ambon, Maluku
The trials of seven men accused of
murdering three men reportedly linked to regional terrorist
network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) will not be moved from Ambon, Maluku
Police chief Brig. Gen. Bambang Sutrisno said Wednesday.
The families of the victims, Tengku
Fauzi Hasbi (alias Abu Jihad), Ahmad Saridu and Edi Putra, had
appealed for the trial to be moved away from the province, which
is still recovering from three years of fierce fighting between
Muslims and Christians.
Bambang said the security situation
had returned to normal and "there is no strong reason to move
the trial outside Ambon."
Maluku Prosecutors' Office deputy
Lorens Serworwora agreed.
A date for the trial has yet to be
set.
Tengku, Ahmad and Edi were
allegedly abducted individually from the Nisma Hotel in Ambon on
Feb. 23, Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 but later murdered at the same time.
The trio were buried in the Batumerah hills near Ambon.
Police have said that Tengku was a
senior member of JI, the groups alleged to have carried out the
Bali bombing on Oct. 12 last year. The attack left 202 people,
mainly foreign tourists, dead and hundreds of others injured.
Police are also investigating
whether the killers were linked to the same terrorist group.
The seven suspects are Hermanto
(alias Yanto), Mansur Fataruba alias Tucek, Abdullah Prawira, Yudi
Saptura, Ganes, Syarif Tarabubun and Rahmat Perwira. Yanto is the
alleged mastermind. Another suspect named Fitral is still at
large.
Meanwhile, the first of 129 treason
trials of people alleged to have hoisted or attempted to hoist the
flag of outlawed South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist movement
during its 53th anniversary on April 25, will begin with the
hearing of Arjono Pelipus Unakwela, 17, in the Ambon District
Court on Thursday.
Prosecutors' office special crimes
head I Ngurah Sriada said that Arjono would be tried first since
he was underage.
Suspects face up to 20 years in
jail for treason.
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