The [Ghanaian] caretaker of a block of flats in New Southgate (London, UK) has told a court how he tipped off police that terrorist suspects were living there, a day after an attempted suicide bombing attack.
Six men are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court, charged with planning co-ordinated suicide attacks on London’s transport network on July 21, 2005.
One of the defendants, Yassin Omar, lived in flat 58 on the ninth floor of Curtis House, Ladderswood Way. The prosecution says the flat was a bomb factory’ where the six men assembled the bombs which ultimately failed to go.
Caretaker William Sarpong said he was watching the television news, on July 22, when he recognised three of the men police said they were looking for in connection with the botched bombing. One was Omar, he later told police, a council tenant with whom he had a friendly relationship.
Mr Sarpong told the jury: “I’m a Christian and he is a Muslim, so whenever we met we spoke, like, who is going to convert the other first?’. He would say he would convert me first; I would say: I will convert you first.’ That was the sort of conversation we had.”
The Ghanaian also said Omar had introduced him to another defendant, Manfo Kwaku Asiedu(pictured), who he knew as George’.
“He was first introduced to me by the tenant in number 58,” said Mr Sarpong. “He said he came from Ghana as well. He said he worked as a handy person but did work mostly for close friends. He was staying with the tenant in number 58.”
The court previously heard Asiedu also lived for a while in Ballards Lane, Finchley. It is alleged Asiedu, the fifth bomber’, lost his nerve on July 21, dumping his bomb in a wooded area in Little Wormwood Scrubs.
Mr Sarpong also alerted police to a large number of empty bottles of hydrogen peroxide left in bin bags for collection by Enfield Council refuse services. Hydrogen peroxide is said to have been a key ingredient in the manufacture of the bombs.
The jury also heard how police searches of the flat, after July 21, unearthed extremist Muslim material, along with CDs by artists such as Meatloaf and Michael Bolton.
Omar, 26, and Asiedu, 33, both deny conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life.
Also denying the charges are co-defendants Hussain Osman, 28, of Blair House, Stockwell Road, Stockwell; Ramzi Mohammed, 25, of Dalgarno Gardens, Peabody Estate, North Kensington; Adel Yahya, 24, of High Road, Tottenham; and Mutkar Said Ibrahim, 28, of Farleigh Road, Stoke Newington.
The trial continues.
Source: GhanaWeb
