Man jailed for funding terrorism over suicide bombing in Stockholm

A man has been found guilty of financing terrorism using illegally claimed benefits following a bombing in Sweden.

Nasserdine Menni was convicted after an 11-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

On Friday, the jury returned a not proven verdict in connection with an allegation of conspiracy to murder Swedish citizens.

But they found Menni guilty of providing sums of money that he knew or suspected would be used for the purposes of terrorism.

A major investigation uncovered Menni's links to suicide bomber Taimour Abdulwahab.

Muslim extremist Abdulwahab blew himself up, injuring two bystanders, during a blast in Stockholm's busy city centre in December 2010.

He and Menni had become friends while living in Luton, Bedfordshire.

Menni later claimed asylum in Glasgow, and it was money earned from benefits and low-paid jobs in the city that prosecutors said was to be utilised for terrorism.

Throughout his trial, the Algerian denied being a "financier". His legal team alleged during the trial that cash was given to Abdulwahab to pass on to family back home.

The court heard that in the wake of the Stockholm bombing, an investigation into Abdulwahab's background and accomplices was launched and links to Menni were found.

Police discovered Menni had a number of bank accounts under various aliases. It was through this means he transferred sums of money to Abdulwahab.

Menni deposited amounts totalling £5725 which prosecutors alleged had helped pay for Abdulwahab's trips abroad for the "purposes of Jihad" and the Audi car used in the bombing.

Another £1000 was sent intended to Abdulwahab's wife after his death.

Police found Menni on December 15 and set up surveillance. In March 2011 his flat was raided and he was arrested.

In addition to the conviction for financing terrorism, Menni, whose age is not known, was also convicted of immigration and benefit fraud.

Addressing trial judge Lord Matthews as he left the dock, Menni said: "My Lord, I thank you very much for the justice in Scotland."

David Harvie, director of serious casework for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: "Nasserdine Menni has today been brought to justice for a terrorist act which culminated in the Stockholm suicide bombing of 2010.

"His guilt has been established by a meticulous and painstaking inquiry by Scottish law enforcement working with their Swedish and UK counterparts.

"I hope his conviction sends a clear message to the tiny extremist minority, who are not in any way representative of the Muslim community in Scotland: anyone contemplating terrorist crimes should know that law enforcement will bring you to justice."

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