GOI ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS RACK UP ANOTHER SUCCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000534 DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, S/CT, DS DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ; DOJ/OPDAT FOR ALEXANDRE/BERMAN NCTC WASH DC; NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC ID SUBJECT: GOI ANTI-TERROR EFFORTS RACK UP ANOTHER SUCCESS REF: A. JAKARTA 00071 ¶B. 08 JAKARTA 1298 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesia has netted more success in its anti-terror efforts. A Jakarta court has sentenced three members of a Palembang, South Sumatra, terrorist ring to 15 years in jail. This is the maximum sentence allowed by law for the specific offenses, which included a foiled plot to kill tourists. The three terrorists were arrested in a July 2008 raid on a suspected Jemaah Islamiyah safehouse in Palembang. The USG-supported Terrorism and Transnational Crime Task Force of the Attorney General's Office prosecuted the case. END SUMMARY. COURT SENTENCES THREE TERRORISTS ¶2. (SBU) Three members of the "Palembang" cell have been convicted of terrorism. On March 19, Sugiarto (aka Sugicheng aka Raja),Agustiawarman (aka Abu Taskid) and Heri Purwanto (aka Abu Hurairoh) were sentenced to 15 years in jail for violating articles 7 and 15 of the 2003 Anti-Terrorism Law. The men received the maximum sentences. They were found guilty of assembling a bomb and planning an attack on a bar frequented by Westerners in a resort town in western Sumatra. Agustiawarman and Heri Purwanto were also found guilty of killing a fellow Indonesian in 2007 (the exact circumstances of this slaying are not clear, including whether it was terrorist-related). ¶3. (SBU) The three terrorists were arrested during a July 2008 raid in Palembang (reftel B). The police raid on a suspected JI safehouse netted ten suspected terrorists (see more below). The men have been linked to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) through their membership in the extremist "Forum Against Apostasy" or FAKTA group. The trials of the other members of the Palembang group continue in the South Jakarta District Court. ¶4. (SBU) In these other cases, prosecutors have requested a 20-year sentence for Fajar Taslim (aka Muhammad Hasan). Taslim was the most notable of the Palembang group and had ties to Singaporean JI leader Mas Selamat Kastari. Prosecutors requested a 14-year sentence for Ali Mashudi (aka Zuber) and a 15-year sentence for Wahyudi (aka Yudi). In a separate trial, prosecutors requested 15 years for Abdurrohman (aka Musa aka Ta'ib aka Ivan) and Ki Agus Muhammad Toni. Anis Sugandi (aka Abdullah Hussair) and Sukarso Abdillah (aka Abdurrohman) each face eight- and seven-year sentences, respectively. PLACING THE SPOTLIGHT ON USG-FUNDED TASK FORCE ¶5. (SBU) Members of the USG-funded Terrorism and Transnational Crime Task Force at the Attorney General's Office (AGO) prosecuted the case. Totok Bambang, who successfully prosecuted JI leader Abu Dujana on terrorism charges in April 2008, was the lead prosecutor in this case. Totok is one of the senior members of the Task Force. In an upcoming USG-funded Task Force training program planned for April 2009, Totok will lead the presentation and the discussion on prosecuting terrorism cases. ¶6. (C) The Task Force has a perfect record in convicting terrorists. According to Totok Bambang and Narendra Jatna, another prosecutor, the successful prosecutions were due to close collaboration with the police from the moment of the arrest. The Task Force has also placed an emphasis on good case and trial management. Instead of prosecuting all ten suspected terrorists from the Palembang group in the same trial, the prosecutors divided them into groups according to their roles and the respective charges under the Anti-Terrorism Law. This grouping facilitated a more effective use of witnesses and evidence. MORE SUCCESS FOR THE GOI ¶7. (C) The Palembang group had some links to terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah. Earlier press reports had overstated this connection in asserting that the ten were part of a JI "cell." According to prosecutors Totok Bambang and Narendra Jatna, only one of the suspects, Fajar Taslim, had an identifiable affiliation with JI. They emphasized, however, that this did not make the group any less dangerous. In any event, the group aspired to become a part of the JI's diffuse network and had stockpiled bombs. The latest convictions highlight Indonesia's continued success in its anti-terror efforts. HUME