September trial for London bomb suspects

LONDON - Five men accused of planning to detonate bombs on London's transport system on July 21 will go on trial in September next year, a British court heard yesterday.

Four are charged with trying to detonate bombs on three underground trains and a bus, two weeks after suicide bombers killed 52 people and injured about 700 in identical attacks in the capital.

Muktar Said Ibrahim, 27, Ramzi Mohammed, 23, Yassin Hassan Omar, 24, and Hussain Osman, 27, are all charged with attempted murder and possessing explosives.

A fifth man, Manfu Kwaku Asiedu, 32, was arrested over the discovery of a suspected bomb in a rucksack at a west London park two days after the attacks.

He is charged with conspiracy to murder and explosives offences.

The group appeared at London's Old Bailey criminal court via videolink from the high security jails where they are being held. All were remanded in custody until a further preliminary hearing in January.

Ten other men accused of failing to disclose information about one or more of the defendants also appeared in court on Thursday.

They were told that their trial would begin when the case involving the bombing suspects was completed. That trial is expected to last at least two months.

- REUTERS