Mohammad Adhe Bhakti, Jakarta – Firebrand Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was definitely involved in the operation of the now outlawed militant group training in Aceh, a witness said at a terror trial on Monday.

Suramto was testifying in the trial of Qomarudin, alias Abu Yusuf, and Ubaid, alias Luthfi Hudairoh, in a West Jakarta district court. The two men are accused of involvement in the Aceh militant group as well as the twin hotel bombings in Jakarta last year.

Suramto said he personally saw Bashir watch a video of the group training in Aceh. He said he met Ubaid at the office of Bashir's Jamaah Anshorut Tauhid group in Pejaten, South Jakarta, and it was there that he saw Bashir watching a video of the training.

Answering queries from Prosecutor Bambang Hariyadi, Suramto said that the video was presented by Ubaid, who also told Bashir that the Aceh training operation lacked about Rp 500 million ($55,500) in funding. "Insya Allah (God Willing)," Bashir was quoted by Suramto in answer to Ubaid's demand for money.

Also present in the video was a man identified as Ustadz (teacher) Haris and Abu Tholut, a man who now tops the police's list of wanted terrorists.

He said he was at the JAT office because he had met Ubaid at the organization's headquarters in Solo, Central Java, and the latter knew that Suramto was being sought by the police in relation to the bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta on July 17, 2009.

Suramto is accused of recruiting one of the suicide bombers and buying explosive materials used in the hotel attacks.

Ubaid offered Suramto to take part in the armed group's training in Aceh. He trained there for one week but had to flee when the group's camp was raided by security forces in February. He fled with Qomarudin, who he said was one of the trainers at the camp, teaching fitness and strategy.

Mutarto, head judge in the case, said the trial, now in recess, would resume on Dec. 2.

The Aceh camp was allegedly planning a major attack on the president and state guests during the Independence Day ceremony at the State Palace last August.

In a surprise operation on Aug. 9, the police antiterrorism unit arrested Bashir in West Java on allegations that he funded the Aceh camp and recruited top militants such as the late Dulmatin to lead the training.