PHILIPPINES: INDONESIAN TERROR SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY TO OBTAINING PHILIPPINE PASSPORTS ILLEGALLY.

Record ID: 352106

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: INDONESIAN TERROR SUSPECT PLEADS GUILTY TO OBTAINING PHILIPPINE PASSPORTS ILLEGALLY.
  • Date: 20th April 2002
  • Summary: (W3) ZAMBOANGA, PHILIPPINES (APRIL 19, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/LV/PAN: POLICE PLANE TAXIING (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. GV/PAN: POLICE IN PLAIN CLOTHES ESCORTING FATHUR ROHMAN AL-GHOZI OUT OF PLANE 0.20 3. GV/MV/TRACK: SPECIAL FORCES LEAD AL-GHOZI INTO JUSTICE HALL (2 SHOTS) 0.38 4. VARIOUS: COURTROOM WITH AL-GHOZI TAKING A SEAT/ J
  • Embargoed: 5th May 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ZAMBOANGA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Reuters ID: LVA1ZPBJ4DUUWIFWN2AD05T9U03N
  • Story Text: An Indonesian allegedly linked to Osama bin Laden's al
    Qaeda network and a bomb plot in Singapore has pleaded guilty
    to forgery, a day after he was given a jail term of up to 12
    years for possession of explosives.



    Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi was sentenced to jail terms of
    four to six years for each of two cases of falsifying
    documents to obtain Philippine passports, the court said.

    Al-Ghozi was detained in Manila on January 15 while
    preparing to leave for Thailand. His arrest led authorities to
    the seizure of a tonne of explosives they believed was linked
    to a thwarted bomb plot against U.S. targets in Singapore.

    Philippine authorities have linked al-Ghozi to the Jemaah
    Islamiah group which in turn has been linked to the al Qaeda
    network of bin Laden, the prime suspect in the September 11
    attacks on the United States.

    Officials at the Zamboanga Regional Trial Court in the
    southern Philippines said al-Ghozi could serve the two jail
    sentences handed down for forgery simultaneously. He was also
    fined 60,000 pesos ($1,179) for each of the cases.

    On Thursday, al-Ghozi was sentenced to between 10 and 12
    years in jail and fined him 200,000 pesos for illegal
    possession of explosives.

    The bearded al-Ghozi, speaking through an interpreter at
    the Zamboanga court, pleaded guilty to two counts of
    falsifying documents to obtain Philippine passports.

    "He claimed in one passport that he was from Tawi Tawi
    and in another he claimed he was from Basilan, both claiming
    Philippine citizenship when in truth and in fact he was an
    Indonesian national," Justice Assistant Minister Manuel
    Teehankee told journalists after the sentencing.

    Witnesses said he appeared sad throughout the hearing.

    Two other Indonesians ordered released were among three
    arrested at Manila international airport last month after
    components of explosives were allegedly found in their bags.

    PW/CS


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