Manchester Arena bombing: Jailed terrorist has admitted his involvement in planning the attack for the first time
Abedi, 23, made the admission in prison last month while he was visited by two members of the inquiry's legal team to be interviewed as part of the probe into the atrocity on May 22 2017.
The brother of suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, had pleaded not guilty earlier this year to 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.
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Hide AdHe did not give evidence at the Old Bailey but provided a pre-prepared defence statement in which he denied involvement, claimed to have been "shocked" by what his brother had done and said he did not hold extremist views.
He went on to be convicted by a jury of all the offences and was handed 24 life sentences in August with a minimum term of 55 years before he can be considered for parole.
On October 22 Abedi was interviewed in prison, where he admitted he played "a full and knowing part", the inquiry was told.
His admission was confirmed by Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Barraclough, of Greater Manchester Police, who was the senior investigating officer in the attack probe.
Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said to him: "You are aware, on October 22 this year, in prison serving his sentence, Hashem Abedi was interviewed by members of the inquiry legal team?"
Mr Barraclough said: "Yes, I am.
Mr Greaney said: "This will be news to others.
"You are aware, on October 22, during the course of that interview, Hashem Abedi admitted he had played a full part and a knowing part in the planning and preparation for the Arena attack?"
Mr Barraclough replied: "Yes, I think that's a fair summary."
The detective added that there is "no doubt in my mind" that the prosecution of Abedi was "entirely well founded".
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Hide AdMr Greaney said: "So the point you are making is that it didn't need him to tell you that you had got it right?"
Mr Barraclough responded: "I think we had got there with the trial."
No other details of the prison interview were given.
Hashem Abedi travelled to Libya, where his parents were born, the month before the bombing and was arrested shortly after the attack and extradited to Britain last summer.
Figen Murray, mother of Martyn Hett, 29, who was killed in the bombing, said: "Thinking back to that courtroom in August, it would have been more bearable for all of us if he told the truth then.
"We wanted to put that chapter behind us but focus our energies on the inquiry which continues to be a gruelling and long process.
"We have to relive the pain and heartbreak and so it does not heal our grief but only the hope that a sense of justice will at least help to rebuild the lives of those this experience has affected."
The Abedi brothers, from Fallowfield in south Manchester, spent months ordering, stockpiling and transporting the deadly materials for the terror attack, using multiple mobile phones, addresses and runaround vehicles to make their bomb.
Reporting by PA