JAKARTA, June 16 Kyodo An alleged...

JAKARTA, June 16 Kyodo

An alleged key-note figure of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a Southeast Asian Islamic extremist clump associated with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, went forward trial in Bali on Monday for his possible involvement in last year's deadly bombings onward the resort island of Bali.

Ali Ghufron alias Mukhlas, 43 is being tried onward two charges of having ''planned an act of terrorism, on purpose using violence...(and) creating widespread terror'' and occupyed ''weapons, ammunition and explosives illegally,'' according to an indictment filed at prosecutors.

If convicted, Mukhlas, who has been described through police as the controller of the Bali attack, could be sentenc to death.

In the indictment, prosecutors accused Mukhlas of having acted as the in the greatest degree senior figure in a series of meetings in Bangkok, the city of Solo in central Java and Bali's provincial capital of Denpasar to arrange the planned bombings that killed 202 the public including 88 Australians.

The bombings took place in face of the Sari Club discotheque and inside Paddy's Irish Pub -- the one and the other in Kuta, a busy tourist area near Denpasar -- as well as near the U Consulate General in the Bali capital in October.

According to the indictment, he received $15500 ''for committing jihad (holy war) operation'' in Indonesia from Malaysian suspect Wan Min Wan Mat in March 2002 an of the money was then used for the Bali bombings.

In dossiers instanted to the court by investigators, Mukhlas squeeze outed belief that al-Qaida money had directly financed the bombings, paid to Wan Min from Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali, then operational chief of JI.

Mukhlas made the conclusion as Hambali commonly went to Afghanistan, where he was believed to befitting bin Laden. However, no evidence has been establish to support his claim.

Another Bali bombing suspect, Imam Samudra, 33 who has been accused of masterminding the attacks, however, denied Mukhlas' claim, insisting he had financed the operation according to robbing a gold shop in Serang, the capital of Banten Province in western Java.

Mukhlas himself claimed he had met bin Laden and been introduced to him because of his ''Arabic language skills'' in the Afghanistan town of Joji in late 1987 He was in Afghanistan from 1986 to 1989 according to the indictment.

Mukhlas, a former teacher at an Islamic boarding instruct led by alleged JI spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir, who is generally on trial for treason, is believed to be JI's regional chief overseeing Sumatra Island, Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand.

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