DUESSELDORF, Germany, May 10 (UPI) -- Three Middle Eastern are on trial in western Germany for alleged links to terror organization al-Qaida.
The main defendant, identified by the press only as Ibrahim Mohamed K., is believed to have been involved in the command of al-Qaida and directly consulted with its terror chief, Osama bin Laden.
Officials claim Mohamed K., who came to Germany in 2002 as an asylum seeker, raised money for and provided logistical aid to the terror network, according to Deutsche Welle Online. He also attempted to buy nuclear materiel but failed.
In 2004, the suspect recruited two students and brothers, Yasser Abu S. and Ismail Abu S., to join and support the group. Both had apparently intended to carry out suicide bombings for al-Qaida.
The three men are on trial in Duesseldorf, in western Germany, and also charged with a total of 10 counts of fraud and 23 counts of attempted fraud.
The trio took out several life insurance policies and aimed to cash them in by faking the policy taker's death in Egypt with the help of bogus documents.
According to the courts, none of the suspects has confessed.
