Terror trial told of ‘fishing trip’
A TRIP to Eden by several men accused of terrorism involved fishing, barbecues and mud bogging, and there was no talk of either religion or politics, the Supreme Court heard yesterday.
Prosecutors had earlier alleged the trip was designed for bonding or team building among some of the 12 Muslim men charged with terror offences.
The men including alleged leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 47, of Dallas are accused of preparing or fostering terror in the pursuit of violent jihad. All have pleaded not guilty.
Lawyer David Brustman, for Shoue Hammoud, argued the trip was in one of the grand traditions of Australian life, “a number of blokes going on a fishing trip“.
Mr Arabi said he had often had hunting or fishing trips away “with the boys” with Hammoud. He agreed that he had one conviction for undersized fishing during a trip with Hammoud and Hammoud’s cousin.
Mr Arabi said: “His cousin, first time, he was all excited and caught a couple. I said, ‘Throw them in.’ He said no, and he kept it, and the police came, water police, and they checked our fish. They found a couple undersized, so me and Shoue took the rap.”
Mr Arabi and another witness, Osman Said, said Benbrika’s religious classes were open to anyone who wanted to attend.
Mr Arabi was one of three defence witnesses called yesterday. The prosecution evidence in the case has involved about 50 witnesses and recordings of 480 conversations and took nearly five months. The defence evidence was completed in a day.
Tags: arabi, barbecues, blokes, conviction, cousin, defence witnesses, fishing trip, fishing trips, five months, grand traditions, hammoud, hunting, jihad, lawyer david, muslim men, prosecution evidence, prosecutors, religious classes, shoue, team building, the trip, Trip, trip to, water police
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Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 10:15 pm under