CHICAGO : A Chicago businessman accused of helping plot an attack on a Danish newspaper and having such close ties to terrorists that he had advance knowledge of the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege was denied bail Tuesday.
“The government has met its burden of showing serious risk of flight,” Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan said as she ordered Tahawwur Hussain Rana held in jail pending trial.
Rana has been charged with helping David Coleman Headley — an old friend from military — plot an attack on the Danish newspaper that published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
On Monday prosecutors also alleged that Rana knew of the 2008 deadly terror attacks in Mumbai days before they occurred, and sent his compliments to the man who planned the bloody 60-hour siege which left 166 dead and hundreds wounded.
While Rana has not been charged in that case, prosecutors have said Headley is cooperating and that the investigation in Rana’s conduct “continues.”
Prosecutors allege that the two men discussed both plots in a secretly recorded conversation and that Rana helped Headley use Rana’s Chicago-based immigration company as a cover for his surveillance trips to India and Denmark.
It was also revealed by prosecutors on Monday that the pair had discussed four other potential targets for attacks: Bollywood, the Indian temple Somnath, the National Defense College in Delhi, and the Shiv Sena, a political party in India with roots in Hindu nationalism.
“It is clear from the conversation and extrinsic corroboration that Rana was told just days before the Mumbai attacks that the attacks were about to happen,” prosecutors wrote in a 10-page memo in support of his continued detention.
Rana’s lawyers maintain he was simply “duped” by Headley and had no knowledge of or involvement in, any terror attacks.
They said evidence from three character witnesses shows that the Pakistani-born Canadian citizen has developed a reputation in Chicago as an honest businessman who advocates non-violence.
Defense attorney Patrick Blegen attacked the government’s contention that Rana was briefed on the Mumbai attack shortly after visiting the Indian capital in November 2008.
“They’re saying he knew about some terrorist plan and took his wife along on some sort of jaunt,” Blegen told the court. “I say that’s absurd.”
Blegen said government transcripts of the conversation recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation were “as much unintelligible as they are intelligible” and do not prove that Rana knew anything.
Asked by reporters if he was concerned about what Headley might tell investigators, Blegen said “If he’s cooperating he may not be telling the truth.”
While Nolan limited her ruling to whether Rana posed a flight risk, she disagreed with Blegen’s interpretation of the evidence.
“The defense’s argument that the evidence will show Mr. Rana was duped is not a fair reading of the evidence revealed to date,” Nolan said.
Rana has the “means and knowledge to flee internationally, he has substantial financial resources and international contacts,” Nolan said in announcing her ruling.
“There are no conditions of release that would reasonably ensure his appearance.”
Blegen told reporters that he and his client had hoped Nolan would deem house arrest, electronic surveillance and a high bond sufficient.
“In light of the circumstances his spirits are good,” Blegen told reporters after meeting with Rana.
“Obviously he’s disappointed, as am I but he is as I am very much looking forward to contesting these charges when we have the opportunity to in court.”
Prosecutors have until January 14 to convince a grand jury to indict Rana on the charges.
was first posted on December 16, 2009 at 3:23 pm.
