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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/nov/24/zakaria-boufassil-accused-money-brussels-attack-suspect-mohamed-abrini-aid-terrorism-jury-told
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| Man gave money to Brussels attack suspect to aid terrorism, jury told | Man gave money to Brussels attack suspect to aid terrorism, jury told |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Birmingham man accused of giving money to the Brussels bombing suspect Mohamed Abrini intended to assist an act of terrorism, a court has heard. | |
| Prosecutors allege that Zakaria Boufassil, 26, together with Mohammed Ali Ahmed, “supplied a quantity of sterling currency” to Abrini between 1 June 2014 and 16 April 2016 with the intention of committing or assisting another to commit acts of terrorism. | |
| Abrini, who has Belgian and Moroccan nationality, became known as the “man in the hat” after his suspected involvement in the Brussels terrorist attack in March, the jury at Kingston crown court in south-west London was told on Thursday. | |
| Three bombs were detonated in the Belgian capital on 22 March – two at Brussels airport in Zaventem and one at Maalbeek metro station – killing 32 people and injuring more than 300 others. | |
| Boufassil and Ahmed, both from Birmingham, are accused of giving £3,000 in cash to Abrini between 9 and 16 July 2015, when he travelled to the Midlands from abroad before the attacks. | Boufassil and Ahmed, both from Birmingham, are accused of giving £3,000 in cash to Abrini between 9 and 16 July 2015, when he travelled to the Midlands from abroad before the attacks. |
| The prosecutor, Max Hill QC, told jurors Ahmed had pleaded guilty to the charge on 8 November. He said this would become relevant to them when determining if the case against Boufassil had been established. | |
| He told the court: “There is no doubt that the money was handed over with the intention of assisting acts of terrorism.” | He told the court: “There is no doubt that the money was handed over with the intention of assisting acts of terrorism.” |
| After telling jurors that Boufassil denied sharing Ahmed’s intention, Hill said: “We suggest he was clearly acting together with Ahmed when the money was handed to Abrini. | After telling jurors that Boufassil denied sharing Ahmed’s intention, Hill said: “We suggest he was clearly acting together with Ahmed when the money was handed to Abrini. |
| “We suggest that Mr Boufassil committed this offence together with Ahmed, and he is as guilty as his co-defendant Ahmed. That will be for you to decide when you’ve heard all of the evidence.” | |
| Hill said Abrini was also wanted by the French authorities over his “suspected involvement” in the Paris attacks of November 2015. The 31-year-old’s brother had been killed fighting for Islamic State in Syria, he said. | |