First Bali Bombing Suspect Faces Court

The first of 33 suspects to be brought to trial over the deaths of 202 people on in the Bali nightclub bombing was today in court.

After two-and-a-half hours, the hearing was adjourned until May 19, with Denpasar district court chief judge, Made Karna, saying the court will sit again in seven days after prosecutors and the defence today outlined their cases.

Two bombs were detonated on the Kuta Beach nightclub strip in Bali on October 12 last year.

Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, a 40-year-old mechanic who is alleged to have bought chemicals and a van for use in the attack, arrived at the makeshift court on the mainly Hindu Indonesian island in a convoy of armed police vehicles.

He was arrested in November when he was shown on television laughing and smiling with Indonesian police during a public interrogation that sparked outrage in Australia, home to 88 of the victims. But he today said nothing as he was rushed into the courtroom past hundreds of waiting reporters.

He then gave a series of single-word answers to questions from the judges, including his age, religion and whether he had a criminal record.

Prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan told the court that Amrozi was charged with planning and carrying out an act of terrorism that caused "massive casualties".

If convicted, he faces the death penalty under Indonesia's newly enacted anti-terrorism laws.

Police say they have a strong case, including a confession from Amrozi, testimony from 102 witnesses and evidence that includes receipts for the explosives.

But the defence team, who admitted that their client had confessed to taking part in the attack, argued that the 33-page indictment was invalid.

"If he was only present at planning meetings and listened, that is far from what he is accused of in the indictment," Wirawan Adnan told the court.

"The indictment does not show whether he was a planner or just a foot soldier. We have to conclude the indictment is not complete and is invalid."

Outside the court, a handful of Balinese showed up to catch a glimpse of the alleged bomber. About 400 people - mostly journalists and diplomats from countries who lost citizens in the bombings - were packed inside the courtroom.

"I was furious," said Wayan Sumerta, a 35-year-old driver who arrived three hours early to get a seat. "I had to come and see him in the flesh. Let's just kill him. He killed our friends after all."

The trial is seen as a test of Indonesia's willingness to crack down on radical Islamist groups in the world's largest Muslim nation - and could shed light on the inner workings of Jemaah Islamiyah, the al-Qaida linked group that seeks to create an Islamic state in south-east Asia.

Its alleged leader, Abu Bakar Ba'aysir, is on trial in Jakarta for treason. Police say they have yet to find evidence he was involved in the Bali attack but have accused him of trying to destabilise Indonesia's secular government with a string of church bombings in 2000.

Aside from last October's attacks on the Sari club and Paddy's bar in Kuta, Bali, Jemaah Islamiyah is blamed for other bombings in Indonesia and thwarted attacks on the US embassy and other western targets in Singapore.