Stockholm bombing trial: Algerian guilty of funding terrorism but cleared of conspiracy to murder

By KARRIE GILLETT
Published on 20/07/2012 17:23

AN ALGERIAN national has been found guilty of funding terrorism but cleared of conspiracy to murder following a suicide bombing in Stockholm.

Nasserdine Menni was convicted of transferring money to Taimour Abdulwahab, who later blew himself up in the Swedish capital on 11 December 2010.

A jury at the High Court in Glasgow found a charge that Menni conspired to murder members of the Swedish public not proven.

Menni, whose age is not known, was also convicted of immigration and benefit fraud.

Addressing trial judge Lord Matthews as he left the dock, Menni said: “My Lord, I thank you very much for the justice in Scotland.”

Jurors took just over nine hours to clear Menni of an

allegation that he conspired with Abdulwahab to further terrorist aims in carrying out the bombing with intent to murder members of the public.

But, following a 12-week trial, he was found guilty of sending a total of £5,725 to a bank account in Abdulwahab’s name in the knowledge that it could be used for terrorism purposes.

Abdulwahab rigged an Audi car with explosives in the hope it would drive people to Drottninggatan, a busy shopping street about 200 yards away, where he was waiting to set off two more devices strapped to his chest and back.

The car bomb never went off but he was unable to detonate the other two explosives as planned.

Menni moved to Glasgow in 2009 after living in Luton, where he is believed to have first met Abdulwahab, for five years.