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Ba'asyir’s
innocence rests on the sole testimony of Al-Faruq, extradited to
the
U.S.
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By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent
KUALA
LUMPUR, October 22 (IslamOnline) - Indonesian
Muslims in Jakarta rejected the injustice in the case of Abu-Bakar Ba'asyir,
the Chairman of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI), who was arrested
by police Saturday, October 19.
Ba'asyir’s
case rests on the sole testimony of the so-called “CIA agent” Umar
Al-Faruq, an Iraqi who said he was of Yemeni origin and held Indonesian
identity before his extradition to the United States in June 2002.
An
outspoken legislator said Indonesian Muslims do not accept the injustice
done Ba'asyir and urged the Indonesian
government to bring Umar Al-Faruq back to Indonesia to investigate his
claims.
"If
Al-Faruq is not brought in, all the accusations against Abu-bakar Ba'asyir
will not be proved. And that means Abu-bakar Ba'asyir
should be acquitted from all charges", Ahmad Sumargono told Antara.
Al-Faruq's testimony was needed for the sake of truth and justice, said
Sumargono of the Crescent and Star Party (PBB) faction in the House of
Representatives (DPR).
In this case, his party would continue striving to uphold truth and
justice in line with the people's aspiration, he said, in a first sign
of dissention in the DPR that could spread to the MPR, sources said.
Sumargono said he agreed with those stating that the recent Bali bomb
blast was part of a foreign grand scenario to press the Indonesian
government and people to follow their agenda.
"That's why I urge the government to uncover who is really
responsible for the Bali tragedy," Sumargono said.
Meanwhile,
reports by the Singapore Straits Sunday Times alleging
that Osama Bin Laden had transferred U.S.133, 440 to the Jemaah
Islamiyah (JI), the banned underground Islamic organization based in
Singapore, for the Bali bombing, raised the ire of Muslims in Jakarta.
More
than a week after the Bali bombings, investigators are still in the dark
about the perpetrators, but the report in the Sunday Times of
Singapore, claims that Bin Laden allegedly sent money to Abu-Bakar
Ba'asyir to purchase C4, the powerful explosive believed to have been
used in the bombing that killed nearly 200 people.
The
multinational team investigating the blasts said they had yet to link
the attack to any foreign group, but the Singapore newspaper claimed
that Bin Laden transferred money to the Jemaah Islamiyah organization,
which Ba'asyir chairs, to buy explosives.
Again
Umar Al-Faruq is quoted as saying that the money was transferred to the
JI from an account in the name of Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Emirati, a
pseudonym of Bin Laden.
Observers
in Jakarta are arguing how Al-Faruq got to knew about the transfer since
he is currently in U.S. custody. They also wonder why he revealed this
information after the Bali blast, and not before it happened.
Some
observers said both Al-Faruq and the Indonesian newspaper should bring
the proof of the transfer, which they say is a “fallacy” invented to
nail Ba'asyir.
Details
of the transfer, believed to have taken place earlier this year, were
given to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by Al-Faruq.
The
newspaper said it had seen a confidential document detailing Al-Faruq's
statement that the money was used to buy three tons of explosives from
Indonesian military sources.
Ba'asyir
risks death penalty under the new decree issued by President Megawati
Sukarnoputri, if he is found guilty of involvement in terror activities.
He denies all the allegations made against him.
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