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Jakarta. Two men being tried for their roles in producing illegal gas canisters were in fact the whistle-blowers in the case, a witness told the Tangerang District Court on Tuesday.

Bachrowi, the secretary general of the Indonesian Community Association of Gas Consumers (Himkogasi), told the court that the defendants — Yuda Barlian and Henda Putra — were in fact Himkogasi advisers.

Yuda and Henda are said to be the technical director and operational director, respectively, of Tabung Mas Murni, a company suspected of producing more than 200,000 illegal gas canisters since last year.

TMM is one of the 70 companies across Greater Jakarta that police suspect of producing illegal gas canisters. Canister explosions have left many dead and more than 50 injured in and around the capital this year.

Testifying at court, Bachrowi said he knew that both men used to work at the TMM factory, but that they had resigned for unknown reasons.

“I only saw them as fellow citizens with the same vision and moral obligation to defend consumers. In addition, they offered me insider knowledge and expertise,” Bachrowi said, referring to the pair’s apparent involvement with Himkogasi.

“Having Yuda and Henda with us made it possible for the organization to get enough evidence and material to officially report [TMM] to the police.

"We brought TMM’s canister and the standard canister purchased from an official Pertamina agent to the Jakarta Police as evidence.

"With the naked eye we could already see the differences, such as an incorrect SNI logo, different materials and an uncertified valve,” Bachrowi said.

Further examination by state oil and gas company Pertamina also revealed that the TMM canisters were fakes.

Based on that evidence, police raided the TMM factory in May and seized 201 canisters.

The company’s books recorded that at least 200,000 canisters had been manufactured by the factory and distributed since August 2009, police said.

Although Bachrowi, on behalf of his organization, had initially accused only TMM president director Raden Kartono of being responsible for the illegal activity, subsequent police interrogations implicated Henda and Yuda.

Raden is being tried separately at the same court.

After Tuesday’s hearing, Abdullah Sella, a lawyer for both Yuda and Henda, told the Jakarta Globe that the pair left TMM in November.

“Both were discharged from the company following a management change, and by November last year both were not allowed to enter into the factory anymore,” Abdullah said.

Prosecutor Riyadi also told the Globe that more witnesses will testify to help complete the puzzle. “This is just the start and it is too soon to assume anything,” he said.

Yuda and Henda have been charged under Article 62 of the 1999 Law on Consumers Protection. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison.

“But should the Court also find them guilty for inflicting deaths, heavy injuries, terminal illness or permanent disability, then the Article 359 of the Criminal Code will be applied,” Riyadi added.

That article also carries a maximum five-year sentence.

Meanwhile, another gas explosion occurred on Tuesday morning in Setiabudi, South Jakarta, injuring one person.

“The explosion came from a food stall behind Wisma Bakrie. The owner of the stall, Yusdawati, 46, was injured. We are still investigating the cause,” said Comr. I Gede Ardana, chief of the Setiabudi Police.