Indonesia: Man Who Provided Support to Jakarta Attackers Gets 9-Year Term

An Indonesian court on Wednesday sentenced a man to nine years in prison for providing cash and a firearm to one of the men who mounted a terror attack claimed by the so-called Islamic State in central Jakarta in January.

Saiful Muthohir, alias Abu Gar, 43, is the fourth man sent to prison thus far in connection with the attack, which left eight dead, including four perpetrators, and at least 24 people injured.

“In late December [2015], the defendant met Muhammad Ali in Srengseng, West Jakarta, to give him operation money in the amount of 70 million rupiah ($5,171),” head judge Eris Sudjarwanto said while delivering the ruling in court.

Muhammad Ali, 40, was one of four men who attacked a coffee shop near international embassies and the iconic National Monument (Monas) with explosives and guns at mid-morning on Jan. 14, 2016.

The judge said the cash handed over by Abu Gar was provided by Iwan Darmawan, also known as Rois, a man who is on death row for his role in the 2004 bombing at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta that killed 11 people.

In March, then-Jakarta Police Chief Tito Karnavian revealed that the Australian Embassy bomber was a local coordinator of the Jakarta 2016 attack, together with another convicted terrorist, Aman Abdurrahman, The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported at the time. Both men are incarcerated at Nusakambangan Prison.

Abu Gar also passed instructions to Ali Rois to pick up a firearm at Serang, Banten, that was later found at the scene of the attack, the court heard.

“So the elements of conspiring, attempting or assisting a terrorist act are legally fulfilled,” Eris said.

The native of Cilacap, Central Java, was arrested on Feb. 19, 2016 in Malang, East Java. After hearing the sentence, Abu Gar, clad in a green shirt and blue cap, said simply, “I accept it.”