thejakartapost.com

The wife of the mastermind behind a series of mail bombs sent to various people around Jakarta, Deni Charmelita, began her first trial on Thursday for allegedly hiding information about her husband Pepi Fernando’s whereabouts.

Prosecutors are seeking a maximum 15-year jail term for Deni.

“She is charged with Law No. 15/2003 on Terrorism with the maximum of a 15-year jail term,” prosecutor Rini Hartatie said at the West Jakarta District Court.

In the indictment, Rini said that Deni was allegedly involved in a series of mail bombs and that she directly or indirectly hindered the investigation of her husband.

Deni was also allegedly involved in terrorism by contributing her assets, Rini added.

Her legal representative, Nurlan, said that what she had done could not be categorized as terrorism, given that she only acted upon her husband’s orders.

“What becomes the problem here is if she intentionally did that or not,” Nurlan said after the trial.

Deni was seen crying when prosecutors read out the indictment.

Previously on Monday at the West Jakarta District Court, prosecutors demanded a life sentence for Pepi Fernando.

Prosecutors said that he had violated Chapter 15, Article 6 of Law No. 15/2003 on Terrorism.

He is believed to have planned and ordered his collaborators, namely Muhamad Fadil, Hendi Suhartono, Irman Kamaludin, Febri Hermawan, Muhamad Maulana, Wartono, Darto, Wari Suwandi, Riki Riyanto, Fajar Dwi Setyo, Mugiyanto, Ade Guntur, Mochmad Syarif, Juni Kurniawan and Juhanda, to also conduct terrorism attacks.

Pepi planned six terrorist attacks, two of which were aimed at President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

In the first attempt in August 2010, a bomb was placed near a traffic light in Cawang, East Jakarta, and was set to explode while the President’s motorcade passed by.

In the second attempt, which also failed, Pepi targeted the same motorcade by planting a bomb near Yudhoyono’s private residence in Cikeas, West Java.

Pepi also delivered mail bombs in March last year, with explosives concealed inside books and delivered to several addresses in Jakarta.

The targets were the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) leader Ulil Abshar Abdalla, National Narcotics Agency head Gorris Mere and musician Ahmad Dani.

A police officer was badly injured while trying to defuse a bomb at JIL’s office in East Jakarta.

Pepi then allegedly planned to bomb the Puspiptek complex in Banten, the site of a nuclear reactor.

He was arrested in Aceh in April last year when a plan was already in motion to blow up Christ Cathedral Church in Gading Serpong, Banten.

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