Bomb siblings’ brother may be forced to appear at Arena inquiry
THE brother of the siblings behind the Manchester Arena bombing is expected to be compelled to appear before the public inquiry into the atrocity and give evidence, the inquiry’s legal team said.
Ismail Abedi is the older brother of bomber Salman and convicted murderer Hashem Abedi.
He was arrested after the bombing and questioned for 14 days, but released without charge and denied having anything to do with the attack.
Repeated attempts to obtain a statement from Mr Abedi have been made, the inquiry was told, but he provided an unsigned statement ‘asserting his privilege against self incrimination.’
Paul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, outlined months of correspondence between Mr Abedi’s solicitor and the inquiry legal team.
He said he now expected the inquiry chairman, Sir John Saunders, to use his powers to require Mr Abedi’s attendance to give evidence.
The QC said: “Many having heard the chronology of events in relation to Ismail Abedi will feel that he has been given every chance to provide his written statement.
“And the inquiry will, we expect, now be fixing a date for Ismail Abedi’s attendance at the inquiry and serving a notice under section 21 1 A [of the Inquiries Act] and accordingly, sir, what we anticipate is that you will be using your powers to require the attendance here of Ismail Abedi to give evidence.”
Mr Greaney said there were ‘legitimate and important’ questions for Ismail Abedi to answer ‘about the involvement of his brothers in the murders of 22 people.’
Sir John said two more recent emails have not been responded to, either by Mr Abedi or by his solicitor.
He called for a response from them ‘giving some degree of update as to what the present position is and what Mr Abedi’s present attitude is.’
Mr Greaney said convicted terrorist
Abdalraouf Abdallah, a ‘long-standing associate’ of Salman Abedi, and Ahmed Taghdi, a friend of the Abedi brothers, had also refused to co-operate with the inquiry. Both deny any knowledge of the bomb plot.
The QC said he expected them to be served with a legal notice from the chairman that would ‘require their attendance’ as well.
The updates came during continued evidence yesterday relating to the experience of survivors.
The inquiry heard dad Darren Buckley, from Swinton, who was at the Ariana Grande concert with his son, tried to help victims in the City Room blast zone for more than 20 minutes before he was told to leave by armed police.
Martin Hibbert, who had bought his daughter tickets to the concert for Christmas and was left paralysed in the bombing, recalled begging medics to take her - and leave him.
The suicide bomb attack on May 22, 2017, claimed 22 lives. More than 260 people were physically injured, with 160 requiring hospital treatment.
Hashem Abedi was jailed for a minimum of 55 years before parole for his part in the bomb plot - and has now confessed.