London suicide-bomb bid man charged

Suspected failed July 21 suicide bomber Hussain Osman was today charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and explosives offences, Scotland Yard said.

Suspected failed July 21 suicide bomber Hussain Osman was today charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and explosives offences, Scotland Yard said.

The 27-year-old will appear at Bow Street Magistrates’ Court, sitting at the high security Belmarsh complex in south-east London, tomorrow morning.

He was formally charged this afternoon at Paddington Green police station after he was flown from Rome on a private charter jet to RAF Northolt, in north-west London.

Scotland Yard said Osman faces four charges, including an allegation of attempting to murder passengers on the Transport for London (Tfl) system.

He faces a separate charge of conspiring with others to murder passengers on the TfL system and is accused of two offences under the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

Osman is alleged to have unlawfully and maliciously made or had in his possession, or under his control, an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.

He is also alleged to have conspired with others to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury.

Osman, who is accused of trying to blow himself up on an Underground train at Shepherd’s Bush, west London, had been held in Rome since his arrest there a week after the attempted bombings.

The Ethiopian-born terror suspect, also known as Hamdi Isaac, has already been questioned at length by British and Italian anti-terror police and was formally arrested under British law when the jet landed at 1.39pm.

Earlier, a convoy of vehicles, including police outriders, took Osman to Paddington Green after his plane landed amid heightened security.

Detectives from Scotland Yard’s extradition unit were on board and accompanied the suspect, who had left his cell at Rebibbia jail on the outskirts of Rome just before 9am.

He was driven in a prison van to Ciampino airport and, with a blanket over his head, was brought out by officers. Amid tight security, he boarded the plane at just after 11am British time.

Judges in Italy had agreed to an extradition request by British authorities but the process of returning him to Britain was delayed when Osman’s Italian lawyer Antonietta Sonnessa appealed.

The appeal was lost on September 13, after which the Italian authorities had 10 days to arrange his return.

During interviews with police in Italy, Osman claimed his rucksack “bomb” was packed with flour and was meant to scare people but not harm them.

Three other alleged would-be suicide bombers have been charged in the UK over the failed bombings.

They are Ibrahim Muktar Said, 27, of Stoke Newington, north London, Ramzi Mohamed, 23, of North Kensington, west London, and Yassin Omar, 24, of New Southgate, north London.

All three are charged with conspiracy to murder and making or possessing an explosive with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury on July 21.

Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, 32, of Finsbury Park, north London, was also charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to cause explosions likely to endanger life.

They have been remanded in custody until their next court appearance before a judge at the Old Bailey.

The men had been expected to appear next month, but will now be brought before the court on December 8.

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