Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Three men awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in the Oct. 1, 2005, Bali bombings that killed 23 people, including three suicide bombers, said Wednesday they were ready to face the death sentence.
The three suspects made the remarks when they and their case files were handed over by Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Soenarko Danu A to the head of the Bali High Court, Pasek Suharta.
One of the suspects, Anif Solchanudin, 24, said his only regret was that Muslims were killed in the bombings.
"I apologize because many Muslims were killed in the bombings, but my targets were Americans," he said before being taken back to the detention center at Bali Police Headquarters.
Anif said he was a member of the regional terrorist network headed by the fugitive Noordin M. Top, but did not know Noordin personally.
Another suspect, Abdul Aziz, alias Jafar, 30, who is alleged to have helped create the website used to organize the bombings, said he knew Noordin and used to help hide the suspected terrorist mastermind from the police.
"I met Noordin M. Top in Pekalongan (Central Java) at the end of June 2005, but I did not know Dr. Azahari (Noordin's accomplice who was killed in Batu, East Java, late last year)," Abdul Aziz said.
He also admitted his involvement in the bombings in Kuta and Jimbaran last Oct. 1.
The third suspect, Moh Cholily, alias Hanif, 28, showed no remorse for his alleged crimes, saying his death was in the hands of God. "Why should I seek penance, everything has already taken place?" he said. "I do not hate anybody, I just hate their infidelity," Cholily said.
Police also presented evidence in the case to the court, including bomb making equipment and a Yahama motorcycle belonging to Anif that was allegedly used as part of the attacks.
The three suspects will be tried at Denpasar District Court. Each case file will be handled by three prosecutors.
The deputy chief of the Bali High Court, Salman Maryadi, said his office would have the indictments finished within the next two months, as stipulated in the law on terrorism.
