Heru Andriyanto – Firebrand cleric and terror defendant Abu Bakar Bashir has accused National Police's elite counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, of masterminding recent bomb scares in order to create an impression that the country was still plagued by terrorism and assert their legitimacy.

"In my opinion, the perpetrators of the recent bomb terror are Densus," Bashir told reporters at the South Jakarta District Court. "The aim is to corner mujahedeen [Muslim fighters engaged in jihad] as terrorists."

The cleric said the unit had an interest in maintaining a terrorist threat in the country because it meant that they were still relevant. "Terrorism is created and it must not stop, that's their goal. Densus is behind this. And if I'm linked with the book-bomb scares, that's silly," he said.

The 72-year-old, who is accused of funding a paramilitary camp in Aceh, again refused to attend his hearing on Monday in protest to the use of video conferencing to obtain witness testimonies. Instead, he chose to follow the proceedings on a television in his cell.