February 20, 2002, The Philippine Star, Philippines: Explosives charges against Indonesian terrorist suspect,

February 20, 2002, The Philippine Star, Philippines: Explosives charges against Indonesian terrorist suspect,

The government dropped charges of illegal possession of explosives against a suspected Indonesian terrorist who faces prosecution for violation of the Passport Act of 1996.

State Prosecutor Geronimo Sy recommended in a three-page resolution that the charge of illegal possession of explosives against Indonesian national Fathur Rahman Al-Ghozi be dismissed because of insufficiency of evidence.

Sy, however, said Al-Ghozi should be held liable for possessing several fake passports, including a forged Philippine passport.

"He falsely stated in his passport application that he was a Filipino. His alleged personal circumstances were untrue," Sy said, recommending that a charge for violation of Republic Act 8239, or the Passport Act of 1996, be filed against Al-Ghozi.

Sy admitted that the penalty for possessing forged passports was less than the six years imprisonment that may be imposed for illegal possession of explosives.

But Sy said the government had better chances of successfully prosecuting Al-Ghozi under the passport law. "The law enforcement authorities merely presented photographs of the alleged explosive components and failed to present the physical evidence," Sy wrote in his resolution...