'Mastermind' Sigit convicted of Burmese embassy bomb plot

A South Jakarta court on Tuesday (January 21st) found Sigit Indrajid guilty of plotting a foiled conspiracy to bomb the Burmese embassy last year and sentenced him to 7.5 years in prison, AFP reported.

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  Defendant Sigit Indrajid was convicted Tuesday (January 21st) for his role in last year's foiled plot to bomb the Burmese embassy in Jakarta. [Bay Ismoyo/AFP]

  
  

Sigit was "proven guilty, legally and convincingly, of committing an evil conspiracy by carrying out an act of terrorism", presiding judge Hariono told the court.

The alleged mastermind was one of four men prosecutors charged with plotting to blow up the mission in Jakarta last May in retaliation for violence perpetrated by Burma's Buddhist majority against Rohingya Muslims.

Sigit confessed to masterminding the plot during his trial last month, but he vowed Tuesday to "continue fighting the enemies of Islam".

All the defendants were being tried separately under Indonesian anti-terrorism laws.

Co-conspirator Rokhadi (aka Shiro aka Abu Junnah) received a six-year prison term for his role. Achmad Taufiq (aka Ovie), also received a 7.5 year prison sentence.

Separiano on trial

The first trial opened November 6th, when prosecutors presented their case against suspected extremist Separiano (alias Mambo), who told the court he learned how to build bombs on the Internet and bought bomb-making materials with money donated at an Islamic study group.

Separiano also attended various sermons at a Jakarta mosque for several years, including a speech by Abu Bakar Bashir, spiritual leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), media reported. An investigation revealed Separiano met with Sigit Indrajid, a member of the Islamic State of Indonesia (NII), via Facebook. Sigit used the social network to recruit extremists for the planned May attack.

"Sigit had posted a lot of news about the Rohingya Muslims in Burma, which attracted a lot of comments saying there should be retaliation against the infidel Buddhists," the Jakarta Post quoted the prosecutor as saying.

Authorities arrested fifth embassy plot suspect Prio Hutomo in Temanggung in December. Separiano's trial has yet to be resolved.

Un-Islamic conduct

Zanuri Wahabidin, a Muslim leader, said such attacks against the Burmese or Buddhists in the name of the Rohingya Muslims, went against Islam's values.

"It will only exacerbate the conflict, and that is not what we want. Islam wants to spread the word of peace and tolerance – not violence," Zanuri told Khabar Southeast Asia.

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/mastermind-sigit-convicted-of-burmese-embassy-bomb-plot/