The trials and appeals of Enceng Kurnia, Ahmad Rofiq Ridho, and Purnama Putra.

The “bombing faction” of the Indonesian wing of Jemaah Islamiyah, the south-east Asian Muslim radical group, continues to suffer setbacks and is likely gravely weaker in its position compared to just a few months ago. Another member went on trial today, Enceng Kurnia, accused of the “crime of terrorism by illegally possessing firearms and ammunition” between April and September 2004.

Enceng is said to have supplied four Chinese-made pistols to another militant named Ahmad Rofiq Ridho, who later gave the pistols to Noordin Mohammad Top, one of the leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia.

Ahmad himself, who is the brother of Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, a leading member of JI killed by Philippine troops in 2003. is on trial separately for surveying bombing targets, including a Christian school in East Java, on the orders of Noordin.

Additionally Enceng is accused of smuggling one pistol out of the city of Ambon in Maluku and handing it to a terrorist named Purnama Putra in Solo, central Java.

This man, Purnama Putra, is also appearing before the judiciary, having been accused of acquiring electronic devices, detonators and chemicals for bomb-making at the request of Noordin.

The three men mentioned above were members of a radical Islamic “charity” called Kompak. Kompak was led by Abdullah Sonata, who is also being tried in Jakarta for alleged terrorist fundraising. These four trials are among a total of ten terrorist related hearings currently proceeding in Jakarta. The Indonesian government is certainly determined to deal with the most violent forms of Islamic radicalism, would they also deal with the more insidious, low-level forms it would make their commitment to a free and peaceful Indonesia ring much truer.

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11th January 2006

Today Joko Tri Priyanto, aged 34, went on trial for providing funding of terrorist operations.

The man is accused of handing over the paltry sum of 350,00 rupiah, or about $35.00, to another man, Ahmad Rofiq Ridho, who is also separately appearing before the judiciary on other charges.

The money was said to have been used to purchase accommodation for Noordin Mohammad Top the Malaysian terrorist currently at the top of the most wanted list for terrorism activities in Indonesia. Joko Tri Priyanto is also accused of supplying a motorbike that was later used to enable Noordin Mohammad Top to evade capture in a recent attempt to catch him. Said the prosecutor:

The defendant … knew Noordin Mohammad Top was a perpetrator of terrorism sought by police but he and his colleagues helped him to hide.

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24th April 2006

Purnama Putra was sentenced to seven years prison for involvement with terrorist Noordin Muhammad Top.

Radio Australia reports that:

The South Jakarta district court found Purnama Putra, 24, guilty of withholding information about Noordin Muhammad Top, a Malaysian sought for a series of bomb attacks.

The court found the defendant met with Top at least a dozen times in 2004 and 2005, but had failed to report the meetings to authorities. The defendant had also, through other people, passed on two hand guns to Noordin in September 2004.

He had also given Top, via another intermediary, a number of detonator cords.

The intermediary would have been Enceng Kurnia.

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27th April.

Ahmad Rofiq Ridho was sentenced to seven years prison today for aiding terrorist activities.

Ridho, whose middle name is sometimes spelt Taufik, and who has been known to go by the aliases of Alen and Ali Zein, was convicted over charges relating to him serving as an arms courier for the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah, as well as for hiding the group’s leader, Noordin M. Top.

The prosecution had asked for a ten year sentence.

Yahoo News says Ridho is miffed, quoting him as saying:

This is a wrong verdict because actually I don’t know anyone named Noordin M. Top.

but the Jakarta Post says:

Ridho admitted during the trial to meeting Noordin Top, one of the key leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah terror network, but said he did not provide shelter to the Malaysian fugitive.

The discrepancy is dealt with to some extent here.

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1st May 2006.

Abdullah Sunata, or Sonata, was today sentenced to seven years in prison for helping to hide Noordin M. Top. Two other men were also jailed for similar offences.

Sunata was found guilty of aiding terrorist activities by knowing, hiding, and failing to report to police, Noordin M. Top, as well as for firearms offences. During the trial Sunata admitted to meeting Top who he knew as “Aiman”, in Solo, central Java, January 2004. The prosecution had requested a ten year sentence.

Also sentenced was Joni Ahmad Fauzani, to four years, the prosecution having asked for six, for helping to conceal Noordin M Top alias Aiman as well as Ahmad Rofiq Ridho.

The last defendant, Joko Sumanto, was found guilty of financing terrorism and gunrunning and was sentenced to four years.

From Antara.

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7th February 2007.

The Supreme Court has rejected the appeals of five men, who had previously been found guilty by lower courts for their involvement in terrorist activities.

The rejected appeals were submitted by Salahudin Sutowijoyo, who was involved in bomb explosion in Atrium Senen, Central Jakarta and four others, who were involved in bomb blasts near Australian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta.

The decision was made by a panel of justices chaired by Iskandar Kamil.

The Supreme Court maintained the three-year jail term for Salahudin made by the Central District Court, which was affirmed by the Jakarta High Court.

Sentences for bombers of Australian embassy were also maintained – 8 years for Taufik Ridho, seven years for Iqbal Husaini, six years for Enceng Kurnia, and seven years for Purnama Putra.