A Moroccan student accused of aiding the Hamburg terrorist cell involved in the September 11th attacks attended a training camp in Afghanistan in 2000, his lawyer said today.
The revelation came as Mr Mounir el Motassadeq (28), went on trial in Hamburg accused of belonging to a terrorist organisation and more than 3,000 counts of accessory to murder.
He denied travelling to Afghanistan when police questioned him after his arrest last year. But his defence revised that account after he testified today that he last saw lead suicide hijacker Mohamed Atta in May 2000 "when I planned to go to Pakistan, Afghanistan".
Mr el Motassadeq also testified that he often talked with Atta but never heard about the group's plans. Defence lawyer Mr Hartmut Jacobi said his client indeed went to Afghanistan, where "he was in a training camp" but refused to give further details.
Prosecutors allege Mr el Motassadeq was a key cell logistician. The first September 11th suspect outside the United States to face trial, he faces life in prison if convicted
The prosecution says Mr el Motassadeq trained at an al-Qaeda camp in Afghanistan and helped the Hamburg cell with logistical support leading up to the US attacks.
When terrorist pilots Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Ziad Jarrah left Hamburg in 2000 to begin flight training in Florida, Mr el Motassadeq stayed behind, filtering money through an account to al-Shehhi in the US, according to the charge.
Mr el Motassadeq admits close ties with members of the cell but says he was not privy to their attack plans. He has told investigators he paid bills for al-Shehhi but transferred no money to the United States.
AP