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OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1453/01 0341216
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 031216Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8894
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 8928
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0525
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 JAKARTA 001453 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/CT, EAP/MTS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/CC 
DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ 
FBI FOR ETTIU/SSA ROTH 
NCTC/RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2026 
TAGS: PTER PGOV KVPR KJUS KISL ASEC CASC AS ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN PROSECUTORS TACKLE 12 NEW TERROR CASES 
 
REF: A. 05 JAKARTA 09473 POLICE NAB 19 TERROR SUSPECTS 
     ¶B. 05 JAKARTA 16574 PARIS CT SEMINAR 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Tim Hefner for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) Indonesian prosecutors have brought twelve new 
terrorism trials to the South Jakarta District Court with the 
case against Abdullah Sunata headlining this latest tranche 
(ref A).  In Sunata's indictment, prosecutors accuse him of 
financing terrorism as well as providing assistance to Jemaah 
Islamiyah (JI) fugitives Umar Patek, Dulmatin, and Noordin M. 
Top, but prosecutors do not connect Sunata to specific 
terrorist events, usually required to necessitate GOI action 
(ref B).  Prosecutors and police cooperated in developing the 
case against Sunata and the others, an unusual occurrence in 
the Indonesian law enforcement/judicial system.  However, 
prosecutors do not have an easy road ahead of them in seeking 
convictions for Sunata and many of the other defendants.  The 
charges against Sunata and several others carry maximum 
sentences of death.  End Summary. 
 
Weak Cases/Junior Prosecutors May Equal Trouble 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (C) Twelve new terrorism cases began in late December and 
early January in the South Jakarta District Court with 
accused terrorist financier and facilitator Abdullah Sunata 
headlining the trials.  His capture last June was among the 
year's key arrests.  Some of the top prosecutors have told us 
that they believe most of the defendants have played only 
minor roles in terrorist activities, and many junior and 
middle-level prosecutors with little experience trying 
terrorists have been tasked with securing convictions. 
However, Andi Herman, former head of Sentencing Requests at 
the Jakarta High Prosecutor's Office, told us that he and his 
superior, Assistant High Prosecutor for General Crimes Noor 
Rachmad, understood the symbolic importance of these cases 
and worked to insure adequate prosecutions of all twelve 
cases. 
 
¶3. (C) Despite his assurance, Herman told us prosecutors do 
not have strong evidence and asserted that the cases hinge on 
the cooperation and testimonies of defendants.  The cases had 
a rough start when prosecutors initially used their authority 
to refuse to accept any of the dossiers from the Indonesian 
National Police (INP) on the grounds they were incomplete. 
The rejection resulted in an unusual level of pre-trial 
cooperation between police and prosecutors.  Herman, at the 
direction of Rachmad, oversaw four separate meetings between 
prosecutors and terrorism investigators from the INP's 
Special Detachment-88 to develop acceptable dossiers.  Herman 
had been scheduled to transfer out of Jakarta, but Rachmad 
refused to allow him to take his promotion until prosecutors 
and police had developed acceptable dossiers. 
 
Weapons Possession Tops Sunata's Charges 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) The indictment against Abdullah Sunata (alias Arman 
Kristianto alias Andri) connects him with JI fugitives Umar 
Patek and Dulmatin following the 2002 Bali bombing and to 
Noordin M. Top following the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing, 
though it stops short connecting him to any specific 
terrorist event.  Sunata faces a maximum death sentence for 
violating Article 9 of the 2003 Anti Terrorism Law for 
weapons possession with intent to commit acts of terrorism, 
and three to fifteen years respectively for violating Article 
11 for financing acts of terrorism, and Article 13 for aiding 
and abetting. 
 
¶5. (C) Though absent direct links to terrorist acts, Sunata's 
indictment clearly implicates him in the weapons charge, 
describing how he delivered and ordered others currently 
standing trial to pick up and deliver handguns, ammunition, 
and related items, such as barrel cleaners and a holster. 
Sunata also directed accused terrorist Purnama Putra to find 
automatic weapons for Top and others. 
 
JAKARTA 00001453  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
Saudi Money Funding Jihad in Ambon, Southern Philippines 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Prosecutors state in the indictment that Sunata 
received funds from a Saudi national named Sheik Abu Muhammad 
in three disbursements -- approximately 5000 USD (50 million 
rupiah), 6000 USD (60 million rupiah), and 25,000 USD 
(100,000 Saudi Riyals) -- for operational expenses.  Sunata 
used these funds to send fighters to the Philippines, Ambon, 
and Menado, to support Umar Patek's activities in the 
Philippines, and to provide money to suspected terrorists 
pursued by the police.  Sunata received the third 
distribution from Abu Muhammad in December 2004.  Sunata also 
received 1500 USD (15 million rupiah) from accused terrorist 
Joko Sumanto, money he then sent to Umar Patek in the 
Philippines in October 2004 to purchase weapons. 
Additionally, Sunata gave accused terrorist Iqbal Husaini 50 
USD (500,000 rupiah) and instructed him to open a bank 
account at the Depok branch of Bank Mandiri under the name of 
Adrian Alamsyah (account number 129-00-0482133-2).  Sunata 
and others transferred funds to this account and used ATM 
transactions to provide financial assistance to the widows 
and children of Musa (NFI) and Aswad/Sawad (NFI-indictment 
misspells this name, we do not know which spelling is 
correct). 
 
Helping Terrorists on the Run 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) In support of the Article 13 charge for aiding and 
abetting, prosecutors allege that Sunata knowingly assisted 
Umar Patek and Dulmatin while the INP searched for them in 
connection with the first Bali bombing.  Sunata found and 
paid for safehouses for the two and directed others to assist 
them, playing a role in moving the JI figures and their 
families to the southern Philippines via Tawau in Sabah, 
Malaysia.  Sunata also directed others to provide logistical 
support to Top after the Australian Embassy bombing. 
Prosecutors included in their indictment allegations of a 
discussion between Sunata and Top in which Top explained his 
comprehensive bombing strategy and invited Sunata and his 
cohorts to join in his efforts, to which Sunata replied he 
needed to discuss the idea with his comrades. 
 
¶8. (C) Since the trials began, strongly incriminating 
evidence supporting the charges against Sunata has yet to 
emerge.  Prosecutors said they had more than 20 witnesses to 
call to make their case against Sunata, and judges requested 
a speedy trial with as many as five witnesses appearing per 
day.  Several witnesses, most of whom stand accused of 
violating the 2003 Anti Terrorism Law as well, have appeared 
in court and willingly answered questions.  Anecdotally, 
during accused terrorist Enceng Kurnia's (alias Arham alias 
Arnold) testimony, Arham admitted to accompanying Sunata in 
Ambon while Sunata worked for the local branch of the Muslim 
charity organization KOMPAK.  Arham also said he and Sunata 
left Ambon in 1999 and traveled together to the Philippines 
to join in military training to prepare for jihad. 
 
South Jakarta Court Hears Eleven More Terrorist Cases 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶9. (C) The eleven other suspected terrorists facing charges 
in the South Jakarta District Court under the 2003 Anti 
Terrorism Law are as follows (ref A): 
 
-- Iqbal Husaini (alias Ramly alias Adrian Alamsyah al Ryian 
alias Rambo), Articles 9, 11, 13, and 15.  Husaini faces a 
primary charge of violating Article 9 for possessing weapons 
with intent to commit acts of terrorism.  He also faces 
subsidiary charges for financing, aiding and abetting, and 
participating in acts of terrorism. Article 9 carries a 
maximum penalty of death. 
 
-- Danny Chandra (alias Yusuf), Article 9, 13, Emergency Law 
12/1951:  Prosecutors have brought primary charges of illegal 
possession of weapons possession under the terrorism law and 
Article 1 of Emergency Law 12 from 1951.    Chandra also 
faces Article 13 for aiding and abetting terrorism acts. 
Chandra could face the death penalty under Article 9. 
 
JAKARTA 00001453  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
-- Ahmad Rafiq Rihdo (alias Ali Zein alias Allen alias Jamal 
alias Syaiful), Article 9, 13, 15:  Rihdo faces several 
primary charges including participating in terrorist acts, 
weapons possession, which carries the death penalty, and 
aiding and abetting, which calls for three to fifteen years 
in prison. 
 
-- Purnama Putra (alias Usman alias Usamah alias Ipung alias 
Risqy alias Uus alias Tikus), Article 9:  Prosecutors also 
have levied an illegal possession of weapons and/or 
explosives charge against Usman, which carries the death 
penalty. 
 
-- Enceng Kurnia (alias Arham alias Arnold alias Rahman), 
Articles 9, 13, Emergency Law 12/1951:  Arham's dossier also 
concentrates on possession of weapons and carries a maximum 
penalty of death. 
 
-- Joko Sumanto (alias Joko alias Cunto), Articles 9, 11, 13, 
and 15:  Sumanto faces only one primary charge, financing the 
purchase of weapons and/or explosives, and of the twelve 
accused terrorists, he alone has a court-appointed defense 
attorney and not a Muslim Defense Team (TPM) lawyer.  Police 
arrested five other suspects with Sumanto and subsequently 
questioned and released at least two of them, Suratmanto 
(alias Anto) and Hananto (alias Hana).  At this time, the 
status of both Yusuf and Tugino (alias Gino) remains unknown. 
 
-- Muhamad Iqbal (alias Bayhaqi), Articles 9, 11, 15, 
Emergency Law 12/1951:  Prosecutors have three primary 
charges against Bayhaqi, all related to weapons possession. 
Two of these charges fall under the Anti Terrorism Law and 
could result in the death penalty.  One of the two terrorism 
charges relates to financing the purchase of weapons. 
 
-- Salahudin Sutowijoyo (alias Miqdad Dumas alias Tito Ma'ruf 
alias Chepi), Articles 9, 15, Articles 55 and 266 of the 
Penal Code:  Salahudin's indictment includes charges of 
making false statements and participating in criminal 
activities.  Under the Anti Terror Law, Salahudin still faces 
a weapons charge which carries the death penalty. 
 
-- Joni Ahmad Fauzani (alias Joni), Articles 7, 13, 15: 
Prosecutors accuse Fauzani of aiding and abetting and for the 
intentional use of or threat of violence to create an 
atmosphere of terror, as stated in Article 7 of the Anti 
Terrorism Law.  The charge carries a 15-year maximum 
sentence. 
 
-- Joko Triharmanto (alias Harun alias Jek bin Dalimun), 
Article 13 and Emergency Law 12/1951:  Triharmanto faces 
minor charges of aiding and abetting and illegally possessing 
weapons. 
 
-- Joko Tri Priyanto (alias Joko Gondrong alias Anto), 
Article 13:  Priyanto faces a minor charge of aiding and 
abetting only.  His indictment carries a maximum penalty of 
fifteen years in prison if convicted. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Three other men arrested in late June-early July 
2005 in Central Java may have been involved in the 
assassination of Central Sulawesi prosecutor Feri Silalahi. 
However, we do not have any further information about them at 
this time. Their names are Hence Malewa alias Babe, Farid 
Podungge alias Nene alias Wawan alias Andre, and Husain Amin 
Latina. 
 
Comment 
-------- 
 
¶11. (C) Police-prosecutor cooperation early in the cycle 
signals a positive development, but this will be overshadowed 
if lack of evidence leads to few convictions or weak 
sentences.  Prosecutors, however, have several weeks to 
develop their cases before the court, and most of the 
indictments contain several terrorism-related charges, giving 
judges options when deciding the cases.  The use of Article 
11 for financing terrorism signals a new tactic from 
prosecutors.  In Sunata's indictment, prosecutors failed to 
connect him to a specific terrorist attack, a tactic which 
 
JAKARTA 00001453  004 OF 004 
 
 
the AGO has shied away from utilizing in the past.  Although 
the indictment has detailed descriptions of Sunata's 
activities, especially in receiving funds, prosecutors must 
find ways to convince other accused terrorists to testify 
against Sunata. 
PASCOE