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Five men who helped the would-be suicide bombers of 21 July 2005, including two with prior knowledge of the plot, were jailed for a total of 56 years at Kingston Crown Court. Siraj Yassin Abdullah Ali, Ismail Abdurahman, Abdul Waxid Sherif, Wahbi Mohamed and Muhedin Ali were convicted of offences including assisting an offender and not disclosing information about acts of terrorism. All were close associates or relatives of the failed bombers, who were jailed for life last year for conspiring to murder passengers on the London transport system. Before 21/7 Siraj Ali and Wahbi Mohammed knew there were plans to bomb London and failed to alert to the authorities. Together with Abdurahman, Sherif and Muhedin Ali they all actively helped the four bombers to evade capture after the failed attacks. This was despite a massive police hunt and appeal for information or assistance from the public and just two weeks after the deadly attacks of 7/7. Siraj Ali was friends with two of the 21/7 bombers. He lived in the flat above Yassin Omar (the Warren Street bomber) at Curtis House, N11 and let Muktah Ibrahim (the No.26 bus bomber) live there with him. Handwritten notes relating to the construction of the bombs used on 21/7 were found in Ali's flat and after the failed attacks he helped Ibrahim by clearing out the latter's property from his own flat at no. 65. Abdul Waxid Sherif is the brother of Hussain Osman (the Shepherd's Bush bomber). Following the failed attacks on 21/7 he helped his brother by providing him with his British passport, which Osman used to escape to Rome. Wahbi Mohamed is the brother of Ramzi Mohammed (the Oval bomber). He was present at 14k Dalgarno Gardens, W10 on the morning of 21 July before the bombers prepared to set off to carry out the attacks. He took possession of a video camera - believed to have been used to make the bombers' suicide videos at Dalgarno Gardens - and also took Ramzi Mohammed's suicide letter intended for his family. After the attacks he helped Ramzi Mohammed by taking him food and other items as Ramzi remained in hiding with Ibrahim at Dalgarno Gardens. Muhedin Ali was a friend of Hussein Osman, Ramzi Mohammed and Wahbi Mohammed. After the attacks he offered Osman a safe-house in London and following Alis arrest police discovered Ramzi Mohammed's suicide note. Ismail Abdurahman provided Hussain Osman with a safe-house after the attacks. He allowed Osman to stay with him at his home at 61 Newport Street, SE11 until Osman fled the country on 26 July 2005. He also acted as a runner for him, retrieving the video camera, believed to have been used to recorded the suicide videos; and Osman's brother's passport for him to use to escape to Italy, he also attempted to buy a Eurostar ticket for Osman the night before his departure for Rome. Judge Paul Worsley QC, sentencing, said none of them had shown any remorse and that they must serve lengthy prison sentences to protect the public. He told them: "As this case has unfolded I have reflected that in the event of convictions, the sentences at the disposal of this court are woefully inadequate to reflect the enormity of what you were about in July 2005. "You concealed your knowledge of the would-be bombers before 21/7 who, as you must have appreciated, were set to inflict even greater devastation than that of 7/7 which claimed the lives of 52 innocent members of the public. "You then in different ways assisted the bombers to escape justice, leaving them free so that they would be able to regroup and strike again. "Thereafter you failed to disclose information as to their identity and whereabouts which may well have secured their immediate apprehension and avoided the need for armed police to enter Stockwell tube station on the 22nd of July when an innocent Brazilian was shot dead." Mohammed, from Stockwell was jailed for 17 years; Siraj Ali, was sentenced to 12 years and Sherif, was sentenced to 10 years. Abdurahman, was sentenced to 10 years and Muhedin Ali, was sentenced to seven years. Peter Clarke, Assistant Commissioner of MPS Specialist Operations said: "The bombers of 21st July 2005 wanted to repeat the carnage of 7/7 by killing and maiming passengers on the London transport system. It was only through luck that they failed. Two of the men jailed today knew about these plans yet, despicably, failed to alert the authorities. "Even after the attacks they helped the bombers evade capture despite an appeal for assistance from the public. It must be remembered that July 2005 was a tense and worrying time for the people of London. Would-be suicide bombers were on the run just two weeks after 52 people were murdered by terrorists and so the fear of further attacks was very real. By helping the bombers escape immediate capture they contributed to the public's fear of terrorism at that time." Home Office Police Minister Tony McNulty said: "Today 5 people were convicted for assisting those who attempted to bomb the London transport network on 21 July 2005, a mere 2 weeks after 52 people were killed by terrorists. This case demonstrates the breadth of the police investigation and shows that people who fail to disclose information or assist others to evade arrest will be prosecuted. We would urge anybody with knowledge or concerns about suspicious behaviour to report them to the authorities. "I would like to thank the Police and Security Service once again for their tremendous work. Their dedication and commitment led to the swift apprehension and conviction of the perpetrators in this plot and subsequent investigations ensured that the individuals convicted today have been bought to justice. "The investigation following the events of 21/7 relied on international co-operation and I want to thank all our partners for their assistance." http://cms.met.police.uk/news/ |
