‘Terror’ doc’s charity case

A Filipino doctor accused by US authorities of plotting attacks in New York City appeared in a Manila court Tuesday and told reporters that money he sent to a charity was misconstrued as intended to finance the disrupted plots.

Dr. Russell Salic smiled (inset) as he was led away in handcuffs after his brief appearance at the Manila court handling a US extradition request, which he and his lawyer vowed to fight.

“That’s not true,” Salic said when asked by reporters about the allegations. “I just donated money without any malicious intent.”

He also claimed that an FBI agent who posed online as a Muslim was behind the allegations against him.

A US Department of Justice representative, Christopher Cardani, who attended the court hearing, said the department would do everything to have Salic extradited to stand trial in America.

“This is an extremely serious matter in the United States,” Cardani told reporters. “It’s been alleged these three individuals conspired to build a bomb and explode it at Times Square in New York in the summer of 2016.”

Last month, US prosecu- tors said Salic was one of three Islamic State sympathizers who plotted bombings and shootings at New York City concert venues, subway stations and Times Square before US agents thwarted the schemes.

Salic was taken into custody in Manila in April. Canadian citizen Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy was arrested in the States last year and has pleaded guilty, and an American of Pakistani origin, Talha Haroon, was arrested in Pakistan in November.

Salic allegedly sent approximately $423 from the Philippines to an undercover FBI agent posing as an Islamic extremist. Court documents say Salic told the agent that “it would be a great pleasure if we can slaughter” people in New York.