Suicide blast ‘may have been accident’

A MAN who blew himself up in a Stockholm street may not have intended to do so when he did, a court has heard.

Roger Skoglund, a technical investigator for the Swedish police, said the man’s body was discovered following a blast in the Bryggargarten area of the Swedish capital on 11 December, 2010.

Nine suspected pipe bombs were found on his body, he said. Only one was “empty”, suggesting it was the only one to be detonated.

Mr Skoglund said some had wires coming from them. There appeared to be traces of a burnt, grey “powder-like” substance, which looked like an explosive.

He was giving evidence at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday in the trial of Nasserdine Menni, who denies being involved in a conspiracy with Taimour Abdulwahab which resulted in a bomb going off in Stockholm.

Abdulwahab died in the explosion.

An international driver’s licence from Belgium, and a Swedish ID card and bank card found at the scene were registered to Taimour Abdulwahab.

Defence lawyer William Taylor, QC asked: “Had he set off his bombs, he would have killed lots of people?” Mr Skoglund replied: “I think so.”

Abdulwahab’s alleged “aims” included the use of explosive devices in the commission of an act of terrorism against members of the public in Sweden with intent to murder them.

The pair are alleged to have conspired, along with others, from addresses in Glasgow, Luton, Bedford, Sweden, Syria and Iraq between 1 January, 2003 and 8 March, 2011.

Menni is also charged with transferring money to Abdulwahab by unknown means, knowing it would be used for terrorism. He denies all the charges.