An Afghan court adjourned the hearing of three Americans and four Afghans in the private jail running case Monday after five hour long debate from both sides in the court.  

Jonathan Idema, an American national accused of running a private jail in Kartai Parwan area of Kabul, who requested more time for seeking help from lawyers when the first hearing was held on July 5, appeared in court to defend for himself.

Along with his two compatriots and four local employees, Idema's team whose villainy was discovered in June this year during an Afghan police search operation, was accused of violation of Afghan law, including forgery, fraud, abduction and abuse of Afghan civilians.

Idema tried to link his team with US government since his arrest, but the US Embassy and military immediately denied any connection with him after the scandal emerged and aroused pubic hatred in Afghanistan.

On the second time hearing, Idema claimed again he was in contact with US institutions including Pentagon, Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

"I was in regular contact with FBI, CIA and US Army. Their representatives were present at the questioning of suspected terrorist Ghulam Sakhi. I have a 500-page documents and 800 video cassettes to prove my relations with them," the defiant ringleader told the court.

These documents were confiscated by Afghan National Security Directorate and later on handed over to FBI, he noted.

He also asserted that during the interrogation of Ghulam Sakhi, the plan to assassinate Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim and Education Minister Yunus Qanooni was discovered.

Mohammad Naeem Dawari, the prosecutor standing for the Afghan government told the court "These people by wearing US army uniform, forging ID cards, combining their pictures with Afghan officials including President Hamid Karzai, tried to act as US agencies' staff here."

"They used to douse boiled water on the innocent detainees besides handcuffing and beating them," he added.

"They would have been put on trial in the United States if they belong to US army or other recognized American agencies, otherwise they have to go through judicial procedures here in accordance with the Afghanistan's laws," the prosecutor stressed.

Giving the excuse of ignorance of Afghan laws and lack of script in his language, Idema asked the court to put off the trial for another week.

At the end of the hearing, the presiding Judge Abdul Basit Bakhtiari again declared to push back the judgment day until next Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2004)