Accused deny airliner bomb plot

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6670903.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Twelve men accused of plotting to bring down an airliner with a bomb have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

They denied to conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion on an aircraft between January and August last year.

The defendants also denied other charges in an indictment which contained 27 counts.

They are due to face trial at Woolwich Crown Court in April 2008

The accused were: Abdul Ahmed Ali, 26, from Walthamstow, east London; Assad Sarwar, 26, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire; Tanvir Hussain, 26, of Leyton, east London; Mohammed Gulzar, 25, of Barking, east London; Ibrahim Savant, 26, of Walthamstow; Arafat Waheed Khan, 26, of Walthamstow; Waheed Zaman, 22, of Walthamstow; Adam Khatib, 20, of Walthamstow; Umar Islam (also known as Brian Young), 29, of High Wycombe; Donald Douglas Stewart-Whyte, 20, of High Wycombe; Mohammed Shamin Uddin, 36, of Stoke Newington, north London and Nabeel Hussain, 23, of Chingford, east London.

Other charges

Additionally, Nabeel Hussain is accused of involved in the preparation of terrorism by meeting Mr Ali, having a will contemplating a violent death, and taking out a bank loan worth £25,000.

Mr Ali, Tanvir Hussain, Mr Savant, Mr Khan, Mr Khatib, Mr Islam and Mr Sarwar denied separate charges under the Explosives Substances Act.

Other charges on the indictment include possessing articles for use in terrorism.

A 13th man, Mohammed Usman Saddique, 25, of Walthamstow, will face a separate trial.

He denied being involved in the preparation of terrorism by owning a number of mobile phones as well as a CD containing titles such as Bombs And More.

Abdul Ali's wife, Cossor Ali, 25, will also face a trial on her own.

She denied failing to disclose information which could have prevented a terrorist act.

All of the accused, except Cossor Ali and Nabeel Hussain, who are on bail, appeared by video link from prison.