Bashir Shrugs Off Link to Fellow Bali Bombing Suspect

"I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" he said.....,"

Bashir Shrugs Off Link to Fellow Bali Bombing Suspect


Terror trial defendant Abu Bakar Bashir on Thursday denied knowing a fugitive bomber who authorities said this week was arrested in Pakistan.

Asked about Umar Patek, a fellow suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people, the radical cleric said: “Who is he? Tell me about him.”

However, Bashir said he had heard Patek’s name mentioned on TV and read it in newspapers. “It’s a weird name,” he said on the sidelines of his trial at the South Jakarta District Court.

Patek is believed to have served as Jemaah Islamiyah’s deputy field commander in the October 2002 nightclub bombings that claimed the lives of hundreds, including 88 Australians and seven Americans.

Authorities have been tracking his whereabouts since the attacks and the United States placed a $1 million bounty on his head.

However, Bashir said on Thursday that he doubted reports that Patek had been arrested on Jan. 25. He said the suspect was last believed to be hiding in the Philippines, and it would be difficult for Patek to travel to Pakistan as a wanted fugitive.

“He was said to be in the Philippines and then he was caught in Pakistan. That doesn’t make sense to me,” he said.

Bashir himself was sentenced in 2005 to two and half years in prison for conspiracy in relation to the Bali attacks three years prior.

In his current trial, Bashir — believed to be the spiritual leader of JI — is facing multiple terror charges for supplying arms to a paramilitary camp in Aceh.

Bashir began Thursday’s trial by skipping the cross-examination of witnesses and accusing the judges of being unfair. “Considering the developments in the trial against me, I ask your permission not to follow the witness examination,” the 72-year-old said.

The cleric and his lawyers had repeatedly questioned the use of video conference to obtain testimonies in the hearings, saying information could be faked. The court has been questioning witnesses, including Aceh residents, via webcam since last week.

Bashir said the panel of judges “ignored calls from the defense without reason, suggesting that the judges are working under the influence of prosecutors and [police antiterror unit] Densus 88 who make the teleconferenced testimonies their project.”

Bashir said he would only sit in for witness cross-examinations if prosecutors called experts on Islamic law so they could discuss I’dad, or the preparation for armed conflicts.

Herry Swantoro, the presiding judge, allowed Bashir to leave the room but only after reminding him that he would lose an opportunity to defend himself against charges made by witnesses.

“The witnesses will testify against you,” Herry told Bashir. “The defense will be given a chance to present their own witnesses, but not today.”

Bashir’s lawyers have skipped hearings since the court allowed Internet testimonies and last week, defense counsel Made Rahman was sent to jail for seven days after he scolded judges over the use of video conferencing.

Bashir could face the death penalty if convicted for his role in the paramilitary camp, which plotted Mumbai-style attacks against key officials and sites across the country, as well as leading an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist cell.

( x the JG)