Makassar bombing suspect jailed eight years

JAKARTA: One of the main suspects in a series of bombing attacks last December in the city of Makassar in south Sulawesi, was jailed for eight years yesterday. 

Judge M. Adnan found Suryadi Mas'ud, 31, guilty of assisting terrorist actions in Makassar and of illegally storing a home-made rifle owned by another suspect, the Antara news agency said. 

The judge said Mas'ud was guilty of involvement in the bombing of a McDonald's food outlet in Makassar on Dec 5 which left three people dead and the bombing of a car showroom later on the same day that caused no casualties. 

Prosecutors, who had sought a jail term of 17 years for the defendant, said Mas'ud was a militant who had taken part in military training at the militant Abu Bakar camp in southern Philippines in 1997 and had brought others to the camp several times between 1998 and 1999. 

Mas'ud greeted the verdict with shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is Great). 

Antara said Mas'ud protested the verdict as unfair since he was innocent and asked why the judges had not punished him with the death sentence. 

He was restrained and calmed down by police guarding the trial. 

Prosecutors also said Mas'ud knew Imam Samudra, a key suspect in the Bali bombing who has been sentenced to death and Agus Dwikarna, an Indonesian currently detained in the Philippines over alleged possession of explosives. 

Ma'sud is the fourth suspect in the Makassar bombings to have been sentenced so far. 

Sentences meted out have been between six and 12 years in jail. – AFP  

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