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| Down Under | ||||
| Teacher to face terror charges | ||||
| 2006-05-11 | ||||
| A BRISBANE high school teacher accused of stockpiling explosives at his home has been charged with terrorism offences. John Howard Amundsen, 40, of Aspley in Brisbane's north, will face Brisbane Magistrates' Court tomorrow on three terrorism-related charges. Four bombs – some embedded with nails and razor blades – and 10 detonators were allegedly found at Mr Amundsen's Windrest Avenue home during a police raid on Tuesday night. Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Wilson tonight said Mr Amundsen has been charged with an "act done in preparation for terrorist acts, using a carriage service to make a threat, and using a carriage service for a hoax threat".
He said he had become the first Queenslander to be charged under new Commonwealth anti-terrorism laws. Mr Amundsen faced court today on a fraud charge stemming from allegedly using false identification to obtain 53kg of explosives and was remanded in custody. Supt Wilson would not elaborate on the new charges but did reveal an alleged bomb threat was made this month using a "telecommunication device".
He said Mr Amundsen faced a maximum penalty of 25 years in jail if found guilty of an act done in preparation for terrorist acts, and another 10 years for using a carriage service to make a threat. Queensland Police said tonight they had set up Operation Echo Mine with a team of 40 detectives to continue investigations into the matter. Supt Wilson said all 53kg of the explosive had been located and that "the public can be rest assured that there is no threat from the explosives". Outside court today Mr Amundsen's lawyer Andrew Boe said there was a "completely plausible and non-nefarious explanation" for the circumstances his client "finds himself" but would not elaborate. "I refuse (to reveal) ... the nature of the evidence, it would not be responsible of me to do so and certainly not responsible for the media to speculate simply because some allegations have been placed before the court," he said. Mr Boe also lashed out at the media for reporting allegations his client was a terrorist. "Mr Amundsen is not a terrorist, he's not associated with any terrorist organisations," he told reporters. "I think the public should and the media should just drop the ante a little bit about being too preoccupied that this has got anything to do with terrorism – it hasn't." It is alleged Mr Amundsen obtained 53kg of an explosive known as powergel, of which a fifth had been converted into bombs. In court, Mr Amundsen interrupted proceedings to tell Magistrate Noel Nunan: "The powergel substance without the detonator or the exact amperage is benign, totally benign and the police knew that".
Books on al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Nazis also were seized in the raid of Mr Amundsen's home. Mr Boe said his client, a relief teacher at Ferny Grove High School in Brisbane's north-west, had been cooperating with police investigations, undertaking interviews and a drive around the city with police.
Suppression orders relating to an alleged missing amount of explosives and on details about how the bombs were allegedly built were lifted by Mr Nunan. | ||||
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 shutter gun's the deal killer... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-05-11 20:06 |
| #1 and a shutter gun, illegally imported.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-11 20:05 |