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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Tristan Kirk

British Army soldier denies terror plot to ‘help the enemy’

A British soldier accused of amassing information on fellow members of the Armed Forces has denied a terror plot to help the country’s enemies.

Daniel Abed Khalife, 21, is accused of breaking the Official Secrets Act and acting against the “safety and interests of the State” by allegedly collecting information, notes, and documents which would be “useful to the enemy”.

It is said the soldier, who was based at Beacon Barracks in Beaconside, Stafford, took soldier details from the MoD personnel files which would be “useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”.

Khalife is also accused of a bomb hoax, by allegedly leaving “three canisters with wires” on a desk in his Army lodgings on Jaunary 2 this year, causing others to fear an explosion.

He appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday to deny three criminal charges, and is set to appear for trial on November 13 at Woolwich crown court.

Khalife, who was on a videolink from HMP Wandsworth, denied committing an act prejudicial to the safety or interests of the State - contrary to the Official Secrets Act 1911 - a charge of eliciting information about members of the Armed Forces, and a third count of perpetrating a bomb hoax.

Khalife is accused of collecting “articles, notes, documents, or information” between May 1, 2019 and January 6, 2022.

He was originally charged with two offences on January 27 following an investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, and a third allegation of breaking the Official Secrets Act was added today.

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker remanded Khalife in custody until his trial, set to last up to six weeks, begins.

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