Umar Patek to face trial next week

The West Jakarta District Court will host the first hearing of Umar Patek, an alleged terrorist mastermind, on Monday next week, a lawyer says.

“We will present evidence showing that Patek’s role was not as big as everyone thinks,” lawyer Asludin Adjani told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

There will be a panel of five judges for this trial, not the usual three.

Prosecutor Bambang, who will lead the prosecution, said from the number of judges assigned to this case that he could tell it was being considered as unique.

Umar Patek was arrested in Pakistan, just few days before the US Navy Seal team shot and killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad. He has been considered the mastermind of bombings in many locations since 1999 and also as a key figure of Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been linked to al-Qaeda.