Suspect who 'bankrolled Madrid massacre' held 05/01/2007 00:00

5 January 2007

MADRID — A man suspected of helping to finance the 2004 terrorist attack on Madrid was arrested, authorities said.

Police sources said Taha Seghrouchni, who was arested in Lerida, north-east Spain, is thought to have deposited large sums in the account of Daoud Ouhnane, a fugitive being sought in connection with the 11 March, 2004, bombings of Madrid commuter trains that left nearly 200 dead and more than 1,500 injured.

Telephone records indicate Seghrouchni and Ouhnane were in frequent contact during the period leading up to the bombings, authorities said.

Carried out by Muslim militants, the March 2004 strike was the worst terrorist atrocity in Spain's history.

Police announced on Wednesday the arrests of three people charged with aiding the flight of two of the perpetrators of the bombings.

Zohaib Khadiri, Djilali Boussiri and Nasreddine Ben Laid Amri were all picked up in the northeastern region of Catalonia, the Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Two other men mentioned in the same indictment, Samir Tahtah and Kamal Ahbar, were already behind bars in connection with other cases.

The five men are accused of assisting in the getaway of Mohamed Belhadj and Mohamed Afalah, and are also said to have been in contact with the fugitive Ouhnane.

Searches carried out along with the arrests turned up significant quantities of cash, forged documents, records of telephone calls to Afghanistan and three computers, the interior ministry said. EFE

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news