In a courtroom of the Old Bailey, a leading Muslim community figure from Acton has been accused of keeping plastic explosives in his back garden has suggested it was planted after he twice refused to be an MI5 spy. Khalid Rashad is on trial charged with having 8oz (226g) of explosives, a 9mm cartridge and five 8mm round after it was found in this garage near Wembley Stadium.
The 63-year-old building contractor was asked if any security services were connected with the explosives discovered. Mr Rashad said: “At the end of the day I cannot say I have, because I have not seen anyone who put this thing there so I cannot point the finger and say I believe it's them.”
Mr Rashad, a Jamaican told the court he changed his name when he converted to Islam in 1993. He went on the describe the two occasions when MI5 contacted him. One in 2012 when he was invited to Whitehall where he was asked to become an operative. On another occasion, he had a meeting at a hotel in Hammersmith asking to spy on young Muslim men travelling overseas. On both occasions he refused. The case continues.