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Saudi Man Stands Trial for Funding Jakarta Hotel Bombings
Heru Andriyanto | February 24, 2010

Ali Khelaiw Ali Abdullah listening to his interpreter at the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal) Ali Khelaiw Ali Abdullah listening to his interpreter at the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)
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Putrimawar
4:59am Feb 26, 2010

Light sentences given to terrorists and their supporters will only invite more foreign terrorists to Indonesia. The majority of Indonesian want to see the Indonesian justice system delivers only death sentences to those terrorist. This will send a strong message to foreign terrorists that Indonesia is no place to operate. Terrorists have no right to live on earth as they have no respect to the life of others.


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 A Saudi national on Wednesday became the fourth terror suspect to face trial for suspected involvement in the twin hotel bombings that rocked the capital last year.

Al Khelaiw Ali Abdullah, 54, is accused of providing the cash used by the militant group to fund the July 17 bombings.

The defendant is the second foreign national to be tried under Indonesia’s antiterror law. The first, Singaporean Fajar Taslim, was given an 18-year jail sentence for leading a terror network in Palembang.

Abdullah’s role in the attack was “providing or lending money, goods or other kinds of assets to the perpetrators in the act of terrorism,” prosecutor Totok Bambang said, reading the indictment at the South Jakarta District Court.

The defendant first came to Indonesia in November 2008 on a one-month tourist visa, the prosecutor said. Saefuddin Zuhri, the field coordinator for the twin hotel bombings, rented a house for Abdullah in Bogor. Saefuddin was killed in a shootout with police about two months after the hotel attacks.

During his initial three-week stay, according to the indictment, Abdullah approached the owner of a medical clinic and promised an investment of $30,000, handing over $1,000 as an initial payment.

On Dec. 21, 2008, Abdullah arrived in Indonesia again, this time on a cultural visa with Saefuddin as his sponsor. He attempted to purchase a toy store in Kuningan, West Java, for Rp 90 million ($9,700), but his offer was refused by the owner, Iwan Herdiansyah.

Iwan suggested that Abdullah open an Internet cafe with a minimum investment of Rp 55 million. The suspect agreed and made several transfers totaling Rp 54 million to Iwan and another man. He also asked Iwan to give Saefuddin Rp 2.8 million of the money.

“But this is not the total amount of money that flowed from Ali. Future hearings will reveal much larger sums of funding,” Totok told reporters during a break in the hearing. “Establishing businesses is a common strategy of militant groups. We plan to invite experts to explain this to the judges.”

According to the indictment, after receiving the money, Saefuddin organized a meeting at Hotel Santi in Kuningan to discuss the bombings with terror mastermind Noordin M Top, JW Marriott Hotel florist Ibrahim and Dani Dwi Permana, one of the two suicide bombers.

In addition to terror charges, Abdullah has also been charged with immigration offenses relating to the misuse of his tourist visa.

Abdullah, who was arrested in Garut, West Java, in August 2009, denied any wrongdoing and said the money he gave to Saefuddin was payment for his assistance as an interpreter.

“I love peace. For me, terrorism is a cowardly act,” he said. “I only learned that Saefuddin Zuhri belonged to a militant group after he was [killed] by police,” Abdullah said.




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