‘He has taken the coward’s way out’
FAMILIES REACT AFTER ARENA BOMBER’S BROTHER ‘FLEES’ COUNTRY RATHER THAN GIVE EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY
THE families of the Manchester Arena attack victims have criticised the bomber’s brother for taking ‘the cowards way out’ after he left the country – despite being called to give evidence at a public inquiry.
Ismail Abedi, who is said to be have been assigned a new identity ‘to protect him,’ was stopped by police at Manchester Airport as he tried to leave the country on August 28 and questioned under the Terrorism Act. But he boarded a flight and left the country the next day, the inquiry heard yesterday.
Through his solicitor, Mr Abedi said he was “unwilling to give evidence” as attending the inquiry into the atrocity would place his family at “further risk.”
Reacting to the news that Ismail Abedi was no longer in the UK, eleven of the families being represented by Slater and Gordon said they were “appalled” to learn that he had left the country in August.
“On the 22nd of May 2017, our lives were torn apart and changed forever when Salman Abedi carried out his murderous attack,” a statement on behalf of the families said.
“Since then, we have sought nothing but the truth: to understand what happened that night and why.
“Ismail Abedi was called to attend this inquiry today precisely in order to further that search for the truth. Others who were deeply traumatised by that night have had to relive those traumas by giving evidence to the inquiry and we have had to watch that evidence over many months and relive our own horror at what happened that night.
“Despite professing his innocence and claiming to disassociate himself from radical ideology and terrorism, he consciously chose not to attend today.
“A man who had genuinely rejected extremism would want to help the search for truth and would have been here today. Ismail Abedi is clearly not such a person but has taken the coward’s way out.”
A statement provided by Mr Abedi’s solicitors, which was branded by Paul Greany QC as “disgraceful,” said he would not be attending before the inquiry. “He intends no disrespect to any of the parties, but he is unwilling to give evidence,” the statement read. It states Mr Abedi was arrested in the course of the police investigation following the bombing and detained for two weeks.
He was released under investigation and has never been told the criminal investigation is at an end, or that no further police action would be taken against him, his legal team added.
“The questions now asked by the inquiry are essentially the same as he was asked by the police,” adds the statement. “Requiring him to attend before the inquiry will place him and his family at further risk.
“After all the problems he has been through, he does not seek to engage with the public and he has nothing to add to the information he has given in interviews.”
The families of the victims said: “We want to put on record our horror that Ismail Abedi could be allowed to leave the country in the face of an upcoming appearance at a statutory inquiry, which he had been ordered to attend.
“We are shocked that this can have been allowed to happen and we note the Inquiry are seeking urgent clarification on this.”
Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said there was ‘considerable doubt about whether the police had a power to prevent him from leaving when he did.’
Inquiry chairman, Sir John Saunders, said he did not want to rush to judgement, but that he would like a detailed explanation from the force and ‘what governed their actions or lack thereof.’
Greater Manchester Police were contacted by the M.E.N. but declined to comment.