Al-qaeda Funded Blast: Claim
The Age
Friday August 1, 2003
The Islamic extremist who passed on funds to a prime Bali bombing suspect testified yesterday that he believed some of the money had possibly come from al-Qaeda.
Giving evidence via a video link from Malaysia, Wan Min bin Wan Mat said he could not be sure if the money was forwarded with the blessing of the organisation's leader, Osama bin Laden.
Wan Min, who has been in custody since just before the October 12 blasts, said he once gave money directly to Mukhlas, the Asian operation chief of Jemaah Islamiah, and also facilitated other illicit transactions.
``I am not exactly sure where the money came from," he said. ``But based on my relationship with Mukhlas and other JI members, I learned part of the money used by JI came from external sources . . . part of the money came from al-Qaeda."
Wan Min, 42, who denied claims he was JI's treasurer, eventually passed $US35,500 ($A54,402) to Mukhlas for JI activities that he claimed to know nothing of.
``I do not know clearly about all the JI experts because there is a discipline inside JI to only know what you are supposed to know, according to each situation," he said.
Mukhlas condemned Wan Min's evidence as lies. ``There is a lot I would like to give an opinion on," he said. ``But I think the witness has been tortured by police to say these things. His words are not his own."
© 2003 The Age