Norway killer tells judge ‘two more cells’ exist
OSLO: Anders Behring Breivik told a Norwegian judge on Monday his bombing and shooting rampage that killed 93 people aimed to save Europe from a Muslim takeover, and said that “two more cells” existed in his organisation.
Breivik has previously said he had acted alone and police have said they have no other suspects in Friday’s attacks. His remarks were relayed by the judge, Kim Heger, in a news conference held after a closed-door custody hearing. It was not clear whether Breivik is in fact part of an organisation, although he has written about a revival of the Knights Templar, a medieval order of crusading monks.
After the hearing, Heger said he had ordered Breivik detained in solitary confinement for eight weeks, with no letters, newspapers or visits, except from a lawyer. The detention, in line with a request from prosecutors, will allow them to investigate the case against Breivik. Jeering crowds awaited Breivik at Oslo District Court.
“Get out, get out!” shouted Alexander Roeine, 24, banging on a car he wrongly believed contained the mass killer. In fact police brought Breivik into the courthouse via a side entrance. “Everyone here wants him dead,” Roeine said, adding that he knew one of the dead and three survivors of the attacks.
Breivik had wanted to explain why he perpetrated modern-day Norway’s worst peace-time massacre in public. He was denied a public platform, but the judge, in his news conference, gave an account of what the accused 32-year-old had said.
Heger said Breivik had accused the ruling Labour Party of betraying Norway with “mass imports of Muslims”. He said his bombing of government buildings in Oslo and massacre at a summer camp for Labour’s youth wing was aimed at deterring future recruitment to the party. “The goal of the attack was to give a strong signal to the people,” the judge quoted Breivik as saying.
Breivik’s custody can be extended before his trial on terrorism charges. Police say the trial could be a year away. “We want to see him really hurt for what he did,” said Zezo Hasab, 32, among a crowd who gave Breivik a furious reception.
After the hearing, a police jeep drove away carrying an unshaven Breivik, with close-cropped blond hair and wearing a red jumper with a lighter red shirt underneath. He appeared calm and did not try to communicate with journalists standing across the road from an underground garage where he was brought down from the courtroom. He sat unmovingly in the back seat, with a policeman beside him, his head tilted slightly back, before being whisked away.
Norwegians held a minute’s silence for Breivik’s victims. “In remembrance of the victims I declare one minute’s national silence,” Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said on the steps of Oslo University, flanked by Norway’s king and queen. The silence stretched to five minutes as thousands more stood around a carpet of flowers outside nearby Oslo cathedral. Only squawking seagulls and a barking dog broke the silence. Cars stopped in the streets and their drivers got out and stood motionless as traffic lights changed from red to green. “This is a tragic event to see all these young people dying due to one man’s craziness. It is important to have this minute of silence so that all the victims and the parents of the families know that people are thinking about them,” said mechanic Sven-Erik Fredheim, 36, shortly before the silence.
Breivik planted a bomb on Friday outside Stoltenberg’s Oslo office which killed seven, then drove to the wooded island of Utoeya and shot dead 86 at the Labour Party youth camp. In a rambling 1,500-page tract posted online just before the massacre, Breivik explained how violence was needed to rescue Europe from Islam, immigration and multi-culturalism. If he survived his assault and was arrested, this would “mark the initiation of the propaganda phase”, he wrote. His lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said: “He has been politically active and found out himself that he did not succeed with usual political tools and so resorted to violence.”
The judge’s decision to close the hearing to the public followed an outcry from Norwegians enraged at the possibility that Breivik would be allowed a public platform for his views. A Facebook group called “Boycott Anders Behring Breivik” carried the message: “He has planned this stage, to get propaganda. Do NOT let him get that freedom-Boycott all media describing the Norwegian terrorist and his beliefs.”
The maximum jail term in Norway is 21 years, although that can be extended if there is a risk of repeat offences. “In theory he can be in jail for the rest of his life,” said Staale Eskeland, professor of criminal law at the University of Oslo. Norwegian newspapers focused on the victims as shock turns to mourning, giving chilling new accounts of the island massacre and focusing on acts of bravery which saved lives. reuters
Rs 50 billion tax evaded on missing containers: SC told.
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) probing committee, formed under the apex court directives, unearthed duties and tax evasion of over Rs 50 billion as 23,882 containers of commercial category under Afghan Transit Trade (ATT), destined from Karachi port to Afghanistan, were missing.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim, resumed hearing of a suo motu taken on media reports about a large number of missing containers meant for transportation of goods for the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) stationed in Afghanistan.
According to contents of the report, the FBR had issued directives for initiation of proceedings to Customs authorities concerned in Karachi.
The report said that show cause notices in respect of a total missing 6,830 Chaman-bound containers had been issued which also involved estimated revenue of Rs 13 billion.
It said in addition to 3,688 containers, earlier figures submitted with the court, another 3,142 containers destined for Chaman had been identified as missing and the Quetta Collector Customs had also confirmed that they did not receive them at Chaman.
FBR Chairman Salman Siddique told the bench that FIRs were lodged against the culprits, including importers, clearing agents, port operators, custom officials, shipping agents and transporters, whereas, letter of explanation were also issued to the officials concerned.
He also informed the court that lukewarm response of the Afghan government in providing details of the commercial transit cargo was creating delay to verify the facts.
He told the bench that a significant fall in the imports affected under commercial ATT regime and an increase in domestic imports leading to a better revenue realisation has been witnessed since the suo motu proceedings directed the FBR to initiate investigative action in the case.
He also said that scrutiny of assets of the officers in BPS-17 and above had also been completed and letters of explanations were issued to those officers in whose declarations discrepancies were found.
The bench appreciated efforts of the FBR chairman and adjourned further hearing till date in the office.
More rains forecast during next 24-hours.
ISLAMABAD: The heavy rain pour in twin cities brought mercury down and made weather pleasant on Monday. The Met office recorded 99 mm rain in Islamabad, and 68 mm in Rawalpindi. The sky remained heavily overcast and temperature down to 6-7 Celsius. Meanwhile the more heavy rain is expected in next 24 hours on Tuesday/ Wednesday. According to Met office strong monsoon currents are reaching most parts of the country while shallow westerly trough is also present in upper parts of the country. In Capital more scattered rain /thundershowers with isolated heavy falls expected. staff report.
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