Terror suspect 'sold CDs' in SA

2005-08-02 10:09

Johannesburg - A Briton arrested in Zambia on suspicion of terrorism was a known fleamarket salesman in South Africa and described by a colleague as a "nice family man", the Johannesburg-based daily The Star reported on Tuesday.

"Aswat made his living selling Islamic CDs and DVDs at fleamarkets around Johannesburg and in neighbouring countries," the paper said, quoting a business associate Ahmed Al Arine.

Zambian police confirmed on Saturday they were holding Haroon Rashid Aswat, who was arrested on July 20 in Lusaka.

Aswat, 31, has been named in the United Sates and British media reports as the alleged mastermind behind the July 7 blasts that killed 56 people including four suicide bombers, but Scotland Yard has not confirmed that he is wanted in connection with the attacks.

US authorities are reportedly seeking to question Aswat over alleged attempts to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon.

Media reports said that Aswat was under surveillance in South Africa for some time.

He was apparently well-known in Johannesburg's Fordsburg district, one of the city's main Muslim suburbs dotted with street-side material shops and one of the best-known fleamarkets, the Oriental Plaza.

"He was a very quiet person. He didn't like anyone to interfere in his life. He always was very secretive but he was very nice and fair in everything he did for me," Al Arine told The Star.

Aswat was introduced to him as Yahya and he had called him by that name in the five months he had known him, he said.

"Sometimes I hear his family (who lives in Johannesburg) call him Haroon and his granny said to me that this is because he looks like another Haroon in the family," he said.

Asked if Aswat had ever spoken to him about al-Qaeda or radical Islamic issues Al Arine said "never, he did not speak to me about these things."

He said Aswat left for Botswana about four weeks ago and suddenly "disappeared". All of his calls to Aswat were left unanswered.

Al Arine is in hiding after he claimed he was subjected to intense interrogation sessions at a police station in Pretoria. He said he was arrested nine days ago at Johannesburg International Airport were he came to pick up a friend.

He said he was surrounded by five cars with policemen from the Crime Intelligence Unit who pointed automatic rifles at him ordering him to lie down on the ground.

When he asked what was going on, police told him that the order to have him arrested had "come from the president," the paper said.

Aswat is due to be extradited to Britain after Zambia's interior minister yesterday signed a document handing over custody of the suspect to Britain.

British newspapers reported at the weekend that Aswat had told his Zambian captors he was once a bodyguard for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

- AFP