Sisters deny bombing knowledge

2005-08-05 21:56

London - Two sisters, one of them the wife of an alleged would-be bomber in the July 21 London attacks on London, denied failing to disclose information about the suspect when they appeared in court for the first time on Friday.

Yeshshiembet Girma, 29, and Muluemebet Girma, 21, both from Stockwell in London, were alleged to have withheld details about Hamdi Issac, who was suspected of trying to blow up a train in Shepherd's Bush, west London.

Bow Street magistrate's court was told that Yeshiemebet was married to Isaac, a 27-year-old Briton born in Ethiopia also known as Osman Hussein, who was being held in Rome and was due to face an extradition hearing on August 17.

Sisters did not enter formal pleas

Both women spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses at a short hearing in the central London court and did not enter formal pleas.

But lawyers acting on their behalf indicated that both would plead not guilty to charges being brought under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The sisters, who held hands throughout the hearing, were remanded in custody until next Thursday.

Similar

The charge was similar to the one lodged against Ismael Abdurahman, 23, the first to be accused in Britain in connection with the failed attempt to repeat the July 7 suicide bombings in London, in which 56 people were killed.

He appeared in court on Thursday and was also remanded in custody until August 11.

Of the 39 people arrested in Britain in relation to the July 21 operation, 14 still remained in custody awaiting to be charged or released, including three of the four people believed to have been directly involved in the abortive bombings.

They were suspected of carrying out the July 21 attack, which backfired after their bombs apparently failed to explode properly.

- AFP