Brit cops reveal they haven’t interviewed Manchester bombing terrorist Salman Abedi’s brother despite his ‘key role’ in attack
Hashem Abedi, 20, is said to have played a 'key role' in the terror outrage carried out by his older brother which left 22 dead in May
BRITISH cops are yet to interview the brother of Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi, it has emerged.
Hashem Abedi, 20, is said to have played a "key role" in the terror attack carried out by his older brother which left 22 dead in May.
He was arrested in Tripoli by members of the Rada Special Deterrence Force a day after the attack, along with the brothers' father, Ramadan Abedi.
The father has since been released, but Hashem is still in custody and will go on trial in the next two months, according to the BBC.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he has "grave concerns" that Hashem will not be tried in the UK.
Greater Manchester Police said Hashem remains a suspect and officers have held talks with the Libyan authorities.
A statement from the force said: "Yesterday it was reported in the press that Libyan authorities intend to prosecute Hashem Abedi in Libya for the Manchester attack.
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"It was also reported that police officers have interviewed Hashem Abedi. This is not accurate, he has not been interviewed by police.
"We have had discussions with the Libyan authorities in respect of Hashem Abedi and at this time we cannot comment on any detail about this."
Mr Burnham said he would call on Prime Minister Theresa May to ensure any trial was held in the UK.
He said: "I have grave concerns about reports that a trial may take place in Libya connected with the atrocious attack at the Manchester Arena in May.
"This was an appalling attack on our city and any trial conducted thousands of miles from Manchester would in no way represent justice for all those who have been affected.
"It is essential that any trial connected to the attack, particularly if it involves a UK citizen, takes place in the UK under British law.
"I am today calling on the Prime Minister and the Government to do everything within their power to make sure that this is what happens."
Al Sadiq Al-Sour, chief prosecutor for the authorities in war-torn Libya, told the BBC: "All the signs point to Hashem being directly involved, assisting his brother and collecting the materials for the suicide bombing which took a lot of innocent lives in Manchester."
He said investigations will be completed in two months "at most", ready for a trial.
Hashem had left Britain for Libya on April 16 this year, a month before the attack in Manchester, according to Libyan sources.
Another male relative of the Abedis has also been held after his credit card was allegedly used to buy ingredients for the bomb, according to the Libyan authorities.
Mr Al-Sour also said British police have been given a list of names of others who should be questioned.
Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated his bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariane Grande concert on May 22.
Police made scores of arrests but all the suspects were eventually released after questioning.
However, Detective Chief Superintendent Russ Jackson, head of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said they believed that while Salman Abedi was not part of a large network, he did not act alone during the months-long planning for the attack.
The family are originally from Libya, but fled during the Gaddafi dictatorship with the father returning to fight with opposition forces when the uprising began in 2011.
An extradition agreement between the UK and Libya had been agreed in 2009, but since the overthrow of Col Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been split into warring factions with the United Nations-backed, internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) struggling to assert control over swathes of the country in the hands of dozens of different militias, including Islamic State-affiliated groups.
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