Al-Qaeda provided funds to the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group which carried out the Bali bombings, a member of the militant network said yesterday, in the most direct evidence yet tying Osama bin Laden's terror organization to the attacks.
Wan Min bin Wan Mat, 42, made his comments during testimony by video conference at the trial of Ali Ghufron, alias Mukhlas, who is charged with overall responsibility for the Oct. 12 nightclub blasts which killed 202 mostly Western holidaymakers.
Wan Min has said previously the bombers were inspired by an edict issued by al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Wan Min, a Malaysian who is detained in that country, testified from Kuala Lumpur that he gave a total of US$35,500 to Mukhlas last year.
Calling himself "just the delivery person," Wan Min said he had no responsibility for finances and is not certain where the money originated, but he heard some of it came from al-Qaeda.
"From my conversations, contacts with ... Jemaah Islamiyah I learned that some of the sourcing for that financing is from al-Qaeda," said the bespectacled Wan Min, a former lecturer at a Malaysian technological university.
Asked by a judge whether the money came from bin Laden himself, Wan Min replied, "I'm not certain of that."
He also said he did not know who decided to release those funds.
"I'm not certain because for matters related to jihad operations, that is handled by a special party which I myself don't understand," Wan Min testified.
However, he said a man known as Hambali, whom he described as JI's former Singapore and Malaysia chief, at one point sent him a letter asking that US$5,000 be transferred to Mukhlas through JI operatives in Indonesia.
Hambali, who analysts have said holds senior positions in both al-Qaeda and JI, remains at large.
Wan Min said he made one other similar transfer and gave more money directly to Mukhlas in Thailand, early last year.
He said he did not know if the funds were put aside for "holy war" operations in Indonesia because he himself was not involved in the planning or execution of the Bali bombings or other attacks.
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