TRIAL OF THE ACCUSED IN THE UK EMBASSY BOMBING CASE SUSPECT BELONGS TO PSO [Archives:2001/26/Front Page]

archive
June 25 2001
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The Penal Court of Sana’a held the fourth session of the trial of the four accused in connection with bombing of the British Embassy in Sana’a on October 13, 2000. The accused are: Abu baker Saeed Jayol, Ahmad Masood, Salam Salem Abu Jahel, and Faris Taher. The fourth accused is now in the Central Prison of Aden and the prosecution is demanding his presence during the trial. The third defendant Sallam Salim said that he was a member of the Political Security Office (PSO), and that he was appointed by Jayol. 
Ahmad Masood confessed that Jayol and he bombarded the UK Embassy because ‘Britain is the major cause of all the problems of the Arab and Muslim countries.’ The action was directed at expressing their anger against the Israeli atrocities in the Palestinian territories. He also said that he used to go to the Minister of Defence’s house to tell him about his relationship with Jayol. He said that the Minister advised him to flee Sanaa, but when he replied that he could not do so, he was advised to surrender. “The Minister promised that he would use his authority to set me free,” he added. 
He confirmed that he and Jayol and two others, namely Naser Al-Shaibah and Anees Al-Awli were behind the explosions of Aden in the beginning of this year. These explosions targeted a church, a hotel and Saba News Office. He stressed that he informed the former Interior Minister Hussein Arab of the targets and the bombers. He further said that he contacted the Minister several times on the phone informing him that he co-planned the explosion of the Interior Minister’s residence along with Hadi Abdullah Masood, one of the escorts of the Minister. He said that Hadi suggested the idea of bombing the minister’s residence the reason being to hold Jayol accountable for the incident. 
He further said that Hadi disclosed it to the police before the explosion took place. He added that the Minister promised to get him out of the trouble of the Aden explosions provided that he reported to him detailed information about Jayol whom he said took care of him since he was a child and made him his chauffeur. 
When the prosecutor read out his confessions in the court, Masood described them as exaggerated and said he was forced by the Criminal Investigation Department to sign on things which he did not admit to have carried out. 
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Jayol, on the other hand, confirmed that he planned and financed all these incidents in Sanaa and Aden. Explosives were bought from Saleh Al-Dasam in Jehanah, Khwlan. He paid YR 96,000 for the explosives of the UK embassy composed of 8 kilo of T.N.T and two bombs. He legalized these acts. He said there was moral degeneration in Aden and UK was responsible for Muslims and Arabs plight. Jayol denied participation of Anees and Salam in the bombardment of the UK embassy and said they were not happy with this plan. 
Isam Al-Ghurbani of the British Embassy attended the trial but he said he was not authorized by the embassy to present its views of demands. He just attended to listen to the trial. He said that the embassy was not asked officially to attend the sessions of the trial, though the judge said that the prosecution wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the British Embassy about the event. He further said that the embassy had the right to present its views and demands in the court or ask for compensation for the damage the explosion caused to it.


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