21/7 suspect 'is a devious liar'

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One of the 21 July bomb plot suspects is a "sly and devious liar" who cried on the witness stand to try to deceive the jury, a court has heard.

Lawyers accused Manfo Asiedu, 34, of trying to pull the wool over the eyes of jurors at Woolwich Crown Court.

Earlier, Mr Asiedu had sobbed as he told of the moment his co-accused asked him to become a suicide bomber.

Six men deny conspiracy to murder and to cause explosions across London's transport network on 21 July 2005.

Mr Asiedu is accused of being the bomber who lost his nerve at the last moment and dumped his device in a west London park.

The other devices, which were used on three Tube trains and a bus, caused no damage when they were detonated.

'Fraudster' claim

Anthony Jennings QC, defending Hussain Osman, accused Mr Asiedu of crying when he told police about his supposedly dead father.

Mr Asiedu has since admitted that his father is still alive.

"You were doing exactly what you were trying to do to this jury, which is pull the wool over their eyes by starting to cry when you were lying," said Mr Jennings.

The barrister went on to accuse Mr Asiedu of being a "self-confessed liar", a "fraudster", and a "sly and devious liar".

Mr Asiedu denied lying, saying: "I was remembering the time as I'm staring death in my face and you're telling me not to cry?"

'Extremist plot'

Earlier in the trial, Mr Asiedu turned on one of his co-defendants, Muktar Ibrahim.

He accused Mr Ibrahim of planning an attack "bigger and better" than 7 July's attack on the London Underground.

Mr Asiedu, Mr Osman, 28, both of no fixed abode, and Mr Ibrahim, 29, of Stoke Newington, north London, each deny the charges they face.

Also on trial for the same offences are: Ramzi Mohammed, 25, and Yassin Omar, 26, both of New Southgate, north London; and Adel Yahya, 24, of Tottenham, north London.

The prosecution have alleged the men set out to target London's transport network as part of an extremist Muslim plot, but the devices failed to successfully detonate.

The trial continues.