Radical Muslim cleric Abu 'The Hook' Hamza 'secretly worked for MI5'

Lawyers of radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri told the US courts that their client was secretly working for British intelligence.

17:21 08 May 2014

Radical Muslim cleric Abu “The Hook” Hamza al-Masri, who is currently on trial for 11 terrorism charges, was secretly working for MI5, according to his lawyers. 

 

The defence was giving evidence for the first time in his trial in New York. The team added that Hamza was tasked to “keep the streets of London safe.” 

 

When asked if he had assisted in the kidnapping of western tourists in Yemen in 1998 and set up a jihadist training camp in Oregon, Hamza answered “never.” He also claims that he had never helped al-Qaeda or any other militant groups. 

 

Before being extradited to the US nearly two years ago, Abu Hamza was imprisoned in the United Kingdom for inciting murder and racial hatred with his sermons at a north London mosque. 

 

Earlier, a prosecution witness told the Manhattan federal court that Abu Hamza was involved in the kidnapping in which four hostages were killed during a rescue attempt by the Yemeni military. 

 

The defence team responded by saying that Abu Hamza merely acted as a mediator.