Madrid bombings: Four more charged
A judge charged four more suspects – three Moroccans and a Spaniard – with terrorism and mass killings over the Madrid bombings early today.
The charges came after six hours of questioning at Madrid’s National Court, and bring to nine the number of people charged in connection with the March 11 railway bombings. Six are Moroccan.
Suspicion over the 10 bombs targeting Madrid commuter trains has focused on an alleged Morocco-based terrorist cell believed to have links to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network and on al-Qaida itself.
All three Moroccans questioned into the early hours of today denied being involved in the Madrid attacks. One left the courtroom in tears. Another said that when he learned of the attacks on the morning of March 11, he was at home watching cartoons with his children, court officials said.
The charges stop short of a formal indictment, but suggest the court has strong evidence against the suspects. They can remain in jail for two years while investigators gather more evidence.
A fifth suspect, also Moroccan, was released without charge.
All five suspects were arrested last Thursday.
A total of 13 people are now in custody over the bombings, which killed 202 people and injured more than 1,800. The latest four arrests came yesterday in Madrid. Those four, believed to be of North African origin, have yet to go before a judge.
Spaniard Jose Emilio Suarez, accused of providing explosives for the attacks, was charged with 190 counts of murder, 1,430 counts of attempted murder, robbery and collaborating or belonging to a terrorist organisation. Court officials said the latter charge would be specified further as the probe continued. The figure of 190 cited by the judge is the number of bodies officially identified so far.
Moroccan Abderrahim Zbakh was charged with all those same offences except robbery. He cried as he left the courtroom, officials said.
Mohamed El Hadi Chedadi and Abdelouahid Berrak, also Moroccans, were charged with collaborating with or belonging to a terrorist organisation.
Berrak has said he knows lead suspect Jamal Zougam because they own a barber shop together. Berrak also said he was an acquaintance of Imad Yarkas, the accused leader of an alleged Spanish al-Qaida cell who was arrested in Madrid in November 2001.
The freed suspect was named as Farid Oulad Ali. Judge Juan del Olmo said there was insufficient evidence against him. Oulad arrived at the courthouse barefoot, officials said, because he was apparently asleep when police arrested him and took him away.
Chedadi is the brother of a suspect jailed in Spain in 2001 on charges of being part of the cell led by Yarkas. It was Chedadi who said he was watching cartoons the morning of the attacks.
The Spaniard, a former miner, admitted helping Moroccans still at large obtain explosives but said he did not know what the dynamite would be used for.
Court officials also disclosed that when Zougam testified last week, he complained because his court-appointed lawyer was a woman and demanded a man instead.
The scale of the attacks was reflected in the government’s decision to hold a state funeral tomorrow for the bombing victims.
It is the first time since democracy was restored after General Francisco Franco’s death in 1975 that a state funeral has been held for anyone other than a member of the royal family.
Prime Minister Tony Blair, the Prince of Wales, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, French president Jacques Chirac, German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and other dignitaries will attend the service at Madrid’s Almudena cathedral.
