Brother of Parsons Green bucket bomb suspect says he innocent and ‘wouldn’t hurt a fly’
A RELATIVE of a London nail bomb suspect last night claimed “my cousin is not a terrorist" and said he "wouldn't hurt a fly".
His brother Hamed said Yahyah Farroukh, 21, did not mix with extremists or ";bad guys" and loves the UK.
He : "He is a good guy. He works in a restaurant to make a living. He would not hurt anyone.
"My father, God bless his soul, brought us up to live decently and with high morals. Yahyah has never mingled with bad guys or militants or Daesh people."
His sister Safa'a told the website: 'Yahyah is innocent, we know he is. He could never hurt a fly. Why would he hurt the family that adopted him or the country that welcomed him?"
His cousin, Abo Zaid Fa, who is his only family in Britain, said he was stunned to hear the 21-year-old was being held by cops over the Parsons Green blast.
He told how his fellow Syrian refugee last year for a holiday — as a snap emerged showing .
Married dad-of-two Abo, of Greenock, said: “Yes, he is my cousin.
"He is a good guy who likes to smoke, meet girls and go to the clubs. I don’t believe he is a terrorist. He came to visit me in Scotland last year for one week’s holiday and I have also visited him in London.
“But I haven’t spoken to him for a while. I don’t know anything about what is going on with the police.”
Abo added: “My family is very happy here in Scotland.
"My children go to the local school and they are very frightened by this. We don’t know anything and just want to be left in peace.”
Another unnamed brother, living in the Noord-Brabant region in the south of the Netherlands, told Arabic Al Aan TV reporter Jenan Moussa that Farroukh came to the UK in 2013 after taking a boat over to Italy from Egypt.
She tweeted: "Brother of arrested ParsonsGreen suspect told me: 'I'm shocked by his arrest. He's ambitious, loves the UK, studies to be journalist.'
"Brother said: 'I spoke Thursday or Friday over phone w/Yahya. He was normal. My brother is only a suspect. Hope he'll be cleared soon.'"
The family said they left Damascus, in war-torn Syria, in 2012 and moved to Egypt, where their ill father died recently.
Farroukh had travelled to the Netherlands to visit them during the Muslim holy period of Eid, shortly after the death, they said.
Scotland Yard said magistrates had granted warrants allowing the 18-year-old to be held until Saturday, and Farroukh until Thursday.
Last night it emerged Faroukh’s visit to Scotland was in January last year when he enjoyed a ferry trip with Abo and his two young sons.
It’s believed they went to the isle of Bute, where more than a dozen Syrian families have made their home since escaping to the UK from their war-torn homeland.
Faroukh shared snaps from his holiday on Facebook and wrote: “Had a good time with my cousin.”
We told how undercover cops — a day after a bomb hidden in a Lidl bag went off on a Tube train, injuring 30.
Police Scotland said last night: “Although there is no intelligence to indicate any threat to Scotland at this time, we ask our communities to remain alert but not alarmed.”
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