Last of three brothers goes on trial for Bali bombs

5.30pm

BALI, Indonesia - The last of three brothers accused of playing central roles in last year's Bali bomb attacks went on trial on Monday, charged with plotting and organising terror crimes.

Ali Imron, who has confessed to involvement in assembling the bombs, has also admitted to a mix of happiness and regret over the October 12 attacks on Indonesia's famous tourist island which killed 202 people, mostly foreign holidaymakers.

The crime carries a maximum penalty of death.

Imron is the youngest of the three brothers. The others are Mukhlas, the suspected commander of the Bali operation, and Amrozi, the first to be arrested, who has said he was proud the attacks killed white people.

Amrozi was also the first defendant to go on trial. Earlier on Monday the court announced that the verdict in his case would be handed down on August 7.

Prosecutors have demanded that the fresh-faced Amrozi, who was shown laughing and smiling as he talked to police about the attacks, be sentenced to death for his alleged role.

The other key suspect on trial is Imam Samudra, accused of masterminding the ground operation.

Police say Imron learned his bomb-making skills in Afghanistan.

Indonesian officials have blamed the bombings on Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian Muslim network accused of carrying out a terror campaign in the region.

Intelligence officials have linked Jemaah Islamiah to al Qaeda, the militant group Washington accused of carrying out the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Appearing as a witness in earlier sessions, Imron gave the most detailed testimony yet on the execution of the bombings, saying the main blasts were detonated using cell phones in an operation that went off as "scripted".

Imron has confirmed police and prosecutor statements that one militant who took part in the attack was a suicide bomber, who wore an explosives-laden vest into the popular Paddy's Bar on the Kuta nightclub strip. A minivan crammed with explosives was also parked outside the Sari Club, just across the road.

More than 30 militants have been arrested over the attacks.

Last month, Mukhlas retracted all statements made to police that had been included in his court dossier.

Jakarta has alleged Mukhlas is Jemaah's operations chief.

Amrozi has admitted to being part of the operation.

- REUTERS

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