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London bombs: Suspects plead
28/04/2006 16:43 - (SA)
London - Five men pleaded innocent on Friday to charges of conspiring to murder passengers with bombs on London's transit system on July 21.
They were accused of plotting to bomb three subway trains and a bus, two weeks after four suicide bombers killed 52 people and themselves aboard three London Underground trains and a double-decker bus.
The July 21 plot also targeted three subway trains and a bus, but the explosives failed to detonate. No one was injured.
Muktar Said Ibrahim, 27, Ramzi Mohammed, 23, Yassin Omar, 24, Manfo Asiedu, 32, and Hussein Osman, 27, all of London, appeared at Central Criminal Court via video link from prison.
The suspects all responded "not guilty" as each of the charges on the 11-count indictment were read out.
Arrested soon after bombings
All five also pleaded innocent to charges of possession of explosives and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life and property.
Ibrahim, Mohammed, Omar and Osman also pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder transit passengers. Their trial was due to start on October 3.
Indictment of Adel Yahya, 23, from London, on a charge of conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life, was postponed until June.
Most of the main suspects were picked up in Britain a few days after the failed bombings. Osman fled to Italy, and was arrested in Rome on July 29.
Asiedu was arrested after a backpack, allegedly full of explosives, was found in a London park.
Eleven other people - including Osman's wife, Yeshiemebet Girma, and her sister Mulumebet Girma - had been charged with assisting the would-be bombers or failing to disclose information, and were scheduled to stand trial next year.
They were also due to appear in court on Friday by video link from prison.
- AP
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