A spokesman for Osama bin Laden, the absent lead defendant in the embassy bombings trial, issued a statement Thursday denying a connection to Jamal Al-Fadl, the US government's confidential informant-turned-witness against bin Laden, reported CNN Friday.
Al-Fadl, 37, from Sudan, spent the previous two days testifying about the history of "al Qaeda," the organization that bin Laden allegedly founded with other Islamic militants in the waning days of the Afghanistan war against Soviet occupiers.
Al-Fadl, who said he was an original member of al Qaeda, described the group's membership, military training, and business operations from its founding around 1989 to its years based in Sudan, from 1991 to 1996, when Al-Fadl left.
"This witness does not have any connection with al Qaeda," said a spokesman for the group to Al-Jazira television.
The spokesman said that Al-Fadl had no special relationship with bin Laden, reported CNN.
Al-Fadl testified that he split with bin Laden after he was caught pocketing $110,000 in unauthorized commissions, in effect stealing money, from oil and sugar sales for bin Laden's companies.
"I don't care about the money, but I care about you because you started this from the beginning. You work hard in Afghanistan, you are one of the best people in al Qaeda group," bin Laden told him in a private meeting, Al-Fadl testified.
Unable to pay back the money, Al-Fadl told the court he soon fled to an unnamed country and approached the American embassy there with information on al Qaeda's alleged plans for terrorism.
"They try to make war against your country and they train very hard," Al-Fadl told embassy officials, he said.
Part of his testimony implicated the Sudanese government in the activities of al Qaeda, a point which Sudan is disputing.
On Tuesday, Al-Fadl testified that Sudan's President, Omar Bashir, provided one of bin Laden's businesses with a handwritten letter enabling it to bring goods into the country without being searched.
"Like when we go to Port of Sudan and we bring some stuff that comes when we have some guys from outside Sudan to go inside Sudan, that letter, we don't have to pay tax or custom, or sometime the Customs, you don't have to open our containers," Al-Fadl said.
A Sudanese official told CNN that Sudan "categorically denies having involvement with bin Laden's organization, let alone that the President would write such a letter as the witness has mentioned."
"These allegations are totally unfounded," the official added.
Al-Fadl, one of four defendants accused of conspiracy to kill Americans and destroy US government property, culminating in the August 7, 1998, bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, is expected to be cross-examined Tuesday.
Bin Laden is currently in Afghanistan, but the country's hard-line Islamic leaders have refused to hand him over, saying there is not enough evidence against him. The US has promised a five-million-dollar reward for information leading to his capture.
Jordan and Lebanon have tried nationals charged with belonging to the dissident’s organization – Albawaba.com
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