Palace adviser in trouble over Indon bomber deal

Presidential Adviser on Special Concerns Norberto Gonzales is in hot water for allegedly promising to have convicted Indonesian bomber Agus Dwikarna, suspected of having links with Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terror network, released from detention.

Ranking government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that an Indonesian official reported to Philippine authorities that Gonzales promised a group of Indonesian Islamists that he would work for the release of Dwikarna.

Dwikarna was convicted on July 12 by Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 117 Judge Henrick Gingoyon of illegal possession of explosives and was meted a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

According to the government sources, Jakarta ordered the Indonesian official to ask Manila why Gonzales made such a promise to officials of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council and the opposition National Mandate Party, Islamist groups that are politically powerful in Indonesia.

Dwikarna is the fourth highest official of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council, which is led by Islamist cleric Abubakar Ba’asyir, who is believed to be the leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group.

Dwikarna is also allegedly a coordinator of the Laskar Jundullah, a militant Islamist group pushing for the imposition of the Muslim Shari’ah law in Indonesia.

Members of these groups recently rallied for several days in front of the Philippine embassy in Jakarta to protest Dwikarna’s conviction.

However, the court granted Dwikarna’s appeal to have his case re-tried and scheduled the first hearing on Aug. 16.

The sources said Gonzales’ alleged meddling in the case may result in a row since Indonesia has already expressed confidence in the Philippine judicial process and only asked that Dwikarna’s alleged link to terrorist cells operating in Southeast Asia be ascertained.

No less than Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri assured Philippine Ambassador to Jakarta Rafael Seguis that Indonesia would respect the Philippine judicial process.

"If convicted, they want him to be convicted by Philippine courts for violation of Philippine laws, like illegal possession of explosives," one of the government sources said.

But Dwikarna’s groups, according to Indonesian officials, have insisted that their organization’s link to al-Qaeda has not been established.

During investigation, however, Dwikarna admitted membership with Jemaah Islamiyah, which is believed to be behind the bombing of the Philippine embassy in Jakarta and the Rizal Day bombings in Metro Manila in 2000.

Police claim Dwikarna entered the Philippines through the southern "backdoor" at least twice before he was arrested in March along with Abdul Balfas and Tamsil Linrung, an Indonesian political leader, as they were about to board a plane bound for Singapore at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The court established that their luggage contained bomb gadgets and explosive-making paraphernalia.