Bali bomb suspect admits ties to terrorist group in court

A KEY Bali bombing suspect admitted in court yesterday that he was the operational chief of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, and said he knows Osama bin Laden “very well”.

Ali Ghufron, alias Mukhlas, testified at the treason trial of Abu Bakar Bashir, a Muslim cleric and the alleged spiritual head of Jemaah Islamiyah.

Mukhlas told a packed courtroom he took over as the operations chief after his predecessor, Riduan Isamuddin, alias Hambali, went into hiding.