Indonesian terrorism suspect on trial for Bali bombings

Feb 13, 2012, 5:43 GMT

Jakarta - An Indonesian accused of assembling bombs used in the 2002 Bali nightclub attacks went on trial on Monday.

Umar Patek, 45, is accused of involvement in several attacks and terrorism plots in Indonesia since 2000, and could face the death penalty if found guilty.

Charges against him include premeditated murder, bomb-making, illegal possession of firearms and harbouring other militants.

'Do you why know why you're here?' chief judge Lexsy Mamontoh asked.

'Yes I know, your honour,' Patek replied.

Defence lawyer Asludin Hatjani said after the opening hearing that the indictment 'lacks substance' and that his team would submit an objection when the trial resumes on February 20.

Patek was one of Asia's most-wanted men when he was arrested in January 2011 in Abbottabad, the same Pakistani town where US forces later killed Osama bin Laden, leader of the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

The United States government had offered a 1-million-dollar bounty for information leading to Patek's arrest.

He is an alleged member of Jemaah Islamiyah, a South-East Asian Islamist militant group believed to be behind several attacks since 2000. The group has had links to al-Qaeda, but it was not clear if Patek met bin Laden.

The indictment says he assembled the explosives used in the Bali bombings that killed 202 people, using home equipment such as a rice ladle and set of shop scales.

It also says he was involved in coordinated attacks on Indonesian churches on Christmas Eve 2000 and supplying firearms to a militant training camp in Aceh province.

Police broke up the Aceh camp in 2010, killing several militants, including top terrorism suspect Dulmatin, who only used one name.

Patek fled to the Philippines after the Bali bombings to join Islamic rebels in the country's southern region.

He was on his way to Afghanistan to join the insurgents fighting US-led troops there when he was arrested in Pakistan, counter-terrorism officials said.

Three other key players in the Bali bombings - Imam Samudra, Ali Ghufron and Amrozi bin Nurhasyim - were sentenced to death and then executed in 2008.