JAKARTA, June 2 Kyodo (EDS: UPDAT...

JAKARTA, June 2 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

The trial of the man accused of masterminding last year's deadly bombings in succession Bali began Monday under Indonesia's recently made known terrorism law.

Imam Samudra, 33 is being tried in Bali's Narigraha Women Building used on the Denpasar District Court for the trial of the accused in the bombings that killed 202 the bulk of mankind including 88 Australians.

Wearing a white, Muslim robe and a rimless white cap with his finger pointing at the canopy of heaven Samudra shouted to his lawyers and court visitors, ''Allahu Akbar (God is Great)! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!'' when entering the courtroom.

His lawyers answered with the same words to the in the greatest degree outspoken of the Bali bombing suspects.

Samudra is charged with having ''planned an act of terrorism, designedly using violence...(and) creating widespread terror,'' according to a 43-page indictment read on the outside by chief prosecutor I Nyoman Dila.

If convicted, he could be sentenc to death.

In the indictment, prosecutors accused Samudra, who claims to be the ringleader of the bombings, of ''initiating'' the attacks, alleging he called them ''a big plot to declare war against the United States.''

He also allegedly issued orders to another suspect to transfer circulating medium to Amrozi, the prime suspect in the Oct 12 bombings, to purchase a minivan and explosives for the bombings and to ferry them to Bali, the indictment said.

The explosives were detonated in brass of the Sari Club discotheque and inside Paddy's Irish Pub -- as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but in Kuta, a busy tourist area near Denpasar -- as well as near the U Consulate General in the Bali provincial capital.

In dossiers neared to the court by investigators, Samudra said he targeted Bali because the island is a place where ''international terrorists so as Jews, Americans, Australians and others involved in the manslaughter of Muslims in Afghanistan gather.''

Bali, he said, is also the center of ''drug traders and users'' and ''the biggest adultery site in the world's greatest in number populous Muslim country.''

During the trial, prosecutors also charged Samudra with ''robbery'' at a gold store in Serang, the capital of Banten Province in western Java to finance the Bali attacks. He is also accused of bombing a Protestant ecclesiastical body on Batam Island near Singapore onward Dec. 24, 2000.

Of the Batam Island bombing, Samudra allegedly told investigators it was ''a kind of jihad to secure from danger Muslims'' who had been ''oppress and slaughtered at Christians.''

Samudra's lawyers said each of the three cases should be tried separately and argued any trial handling the cases altogether is illegal. They said they will file with the principal Court for a judicial review to cancel the trial.

Samudra, whose indictment listed his occupation as a ''cloth trader,'' said he went to Afghanistan in 1990 to learn by what means to fire assault rifles and to make bombs

Known for computer expertise, Samudra also used Internet chat steads to call on other Muslims to fight against Christians.

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