“Ba'asyir Not Connected With Bali Bombing”
Thursday, 20 April, 2006 | 14:16 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Cilacap: Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, Emir of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), apparently did not know about nor was he connected with the Bali bombings on October 12, 2002.

“The accusation is nonsense,” said Amrozi, a perpetrator in the Bali bombings case who has been found guilty and convicted to death, during his testimony as a witness in a review held at the Cilacap Subdistrict Court yesterday (19/4).

He firmly disputed that he had met Ba'asyir and asked for his blessing for carrying out the bombings.

According to Amrozi, a statement to the contrary was made by Mubarok, a member of the bombing group, due to pressure when being interrogated by the police.

“I indeed met Ustad (Muslim religious teacher) Ba'asyir, but it had nothing to do with the Bali bombing,” he said.

Ari Aji HS