Malaysia: Two Plead Guilty in Grenade Attack at Nightclub

Two suspects in a recent grenade attack at a nightclub in Puchong pleaded guilty Monday and four others were charged for their roles in the first successful act of terrorism by the so-called Islamic State (IS) on Malaysian soil.

Unemployed imam Wahyudin Karjono, 21, and factory operator Jonius Ondie alias Jahali, 24, faced eight counts in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court, including attempting to murder the eight patrons who were injured, and firearms possession tied to the grenade used in last month's attack.

Both pleaded guilty to all the charges before Judge Azhaniz Teh Azman. They remained calm during the hearing and were reluctant to speak when Azhaniz asked if they had anything to say to the court. Both could face up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, set for Sept. 21.

The June 28 grenade attack at Movida nightclub in Puchong, a town just south of the Malaysian capital, injured eight people during the screening of a Euro 2016 football match.

Within a few hours of the attack Abu Hamza Al-Fateh, a Malaysian IS fighter better known as Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi, posted a message on Facebook saying that IS members were responsible for hurling the grenade at the nightclub.

Authorities initially concentrated on rivalries among local gangsters as a motive, but on July 4 Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed that IS members were behind the attack.

Four others charged

Four other suspects who allegedly assisted the attackers were charged in three magistrate Courts in Klang, Kuala Lumpur and Ampang on Monday.

In Klang, Mohmad Zaimi Mohmad Isa and Roshelmyzan Husain, both 31, were charged with two counts each for supporting the pair. Mohmad Zaimi was accused of harboring Jonius Ondie to prevent his arrest on June 29. Roshelmyzan was charged with soliciting support for the pair through the Telegram app on his mobile phone.

In Kuala Lumpur, insurance delivery man Fazar Nor Md Reduan, 32, was charged with two counts of providing support through the Telegram app on his mobile phone. In Ampang, Mohd Asrol Mohamad, 29, faced a similar charge related to the Telegram app.

Saturday arrests

Meanwhile, police announced the arrest of 14 suspected militants on Saturday, including a man they said knew how to build an improvised explosive device (IED). Police did not name the 13 men and one woman but said they were aged between 20 and 49.

“One of them had admitted that he received an order from Wanndy to build an IED for a planned attack in the Klang Valley. He had also shared his knowledge in building IEDs via the Telegram app with other IS members,” Khalid said.

Malaysian police have arrested at least 222 suspects with alleged links to IS, 71 of whom have been charged in court, according to police statistics.

Indonesia arrests

Elsewhere, Indonesia’s counter-terrorism police unit Densus 88 arrested four people in Central Java for their alleged ties to Nur Rohman, the suicide bomber who attacked the provincial police headquarters earlier this month.

The bombing was the second IS-linked attack in Indonesia after eight people died in Jakarta on Jan. 14. Police said Nur had acted after IS called on supporters to launch terror attacks during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Nur, 31, blew himself up when a security officer tried to stop him from riding his motorcycle up to the headquarters in Solo on July 4. The officer was injured but no-one was killed.

Police did not release the names of the suspects or specific charges against them.

Among those arrested were a husband and wife who own the poultry farm where Nur worked in Tulung sub-district, local police said. During a search of the farm, police found a hut they suspect Nur used as a temporary shelter.

Also on Saturday, police arrested Nur’s older brother and a third man suspected of involvement in the case.

“I do not know what the brother’s role was in the suicide bombing in Solo,” Tulung police chief Parmo Bin Muhtarom told BenarNews on Saturday.

On July 19, Densus 88 arrested a man who allegedly owned the motorbike that Nur was riding at the time of his death.

Eighteen Indonesians have been sent to jail for links to IS, and some 800 Indonesians are believed to have joined the extremist group in Syria and Iraq.

Kusumasari Ayuningtyas in Klaten, Indonesia contributed to this report.