A detective who interviewed a Sydney man suspected of trying to get a bomb hidden in a meat grinder onto an Etihad flight has denied telling him not to waste his money on a solicitor. Detective Peter Kazzi agreed Khaled Mahmoud Khayat, who was legally unrepresented during the three-day interview, provided valuable information, but denied telling him he would not be charged. He also denied removing CDs from the interview machine and snapping them or, in an unrecorded conversation, suggesting what Khayat should say about going to the airport with a bomb. He was being cross-examined in the Supreme Court on Friday by Khayat's barrister Richard Pontella. The 52-year-old and his brother Mahmoud Khayat, 34, have pleaded not guilty to conspiring - between January 20 and July 29 in 2017 - to do acts in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act. The crown alleges the siblings along with their brother Tarek Khayat, who was involved with ISIS in Syria, and an unknown person plotted the plane bomb attack and a lethal poisonous gas attack on people in a confined space The bomb was allegedly inside a meat grinder to be put into the luggage of another brother, Amer Khatat, who was flying out of Sydney on an Etihad flight on July 15, 2017. But the plan was allegedly abandoned because his baggage was overweight. In his police interview, which has been played to the jury, Khaled Khayat spoke of having walked into the airport with the bomb concealed inside a meat grinder and being instructed by his brother Tarek and another man on how to build it. He said when he saw children at the airport he thought: "Don't do it. Don't be stupid. Don't do it', and removed the bomb from the baggage. Mr Pontella has told the jury that contrary to what his client told police, he never took the bomb to the airport and he actually was trying to prevent a terrorist attack. On Friday, he suggested that Det Kazzi told his client: "Don't waste your money on solicitors. You are going home and I promise you you are not going to be charged." "I wouldn't have said that," the detective replied. "Do you agreed it was in your interest, as an investigator, for the accused not to have a solicitor?" Mr Pontella asked. "That is his right," he replied. The jury saw the start of Mahmoud Khayat's police interview, during which he said he bought presents for relatives for Amer to take on his overseas trip. He went to the airport with both brothers and waited in the car, before Khaled returned with some clothing and a see-through Toys "R" Us bag containing a pink box with possibly a doll in it. His brother told him the luggage had been overweight and "chucked" the items in the back seat. The trial continues. Australian Associated Press
Two brothers have pleaded not guilty to conspiring over an alleged plot to bomb an Etihad flight.
A detective who interviewed a Sydney man suspected of trying to get a bomb hidden in a meat grinder onto an Etihad flight has denied telling him not to waste his money on a solicitor.
Detective Peter Kazzi agreed Khaled Mahmoud Khayat, who was legally unrepresented during the three-day interview, provided valuable information, but denied telling him he would not be charged.
He also denied removing CDs from the interview machine and snapping them or, in an unrecorded conversation, suggesting what Khayat should say about going to the airport with a bomb.
He was being cross-examined in the Supreme Court on Friday by Khayat's barrister Richard Pontella.
The 52-year-old and his brother Mahmoud Khayat, 34, have pleaded not guilty to conspiring - between January 20 and July 29 in 2017 - to do acts in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act.
The crown alleges the siblings along with their brother Tarek Khayat, who was involved with ISIS in Syria, and an unknown person plotted the plane bomb attack and a lethal poisonous gas attack on people in a confined space
The bomb was allegedly inside a meat grinder to be put into the luggage of another brother, Amer Khatat, who was flying out of Sydney on an Etihad flight on July 15, 2017.
But the plan was allegedly abandoned because his baggage was overweight.
In his police interview, which has been played to the jury, Khaled Khayat spoke of having walked into the airport with the bomb concealed inside a meat grinder and being instructed by his brother Tarek and another man on how to build it.
He said when he saw children at the airport he thought: "Don't do it. Don't be stupid. Don't do it', and removed the bomb from the baggage.
Mr Pontella has told the jury that contrary to what his client told police, he never took the bomb to the airport and he actually was trying to prevent a terrorist attack.
On Friday, he suggested that Det Kazzi told his client: "Don't waste your money on solicitors. You are going home and I promise you you are not going to be charged."
"I wouldn't have said that," the detective replied.
"Do you agreed it was in your interest, as an investigator, for the accused not to have a solicitor?" Mr Pontella asked.
"That is his right," he replied.
The jury saw the start of Mahmoud Khayat's police interview, during which he said he bought presents for relatives for Amer to take on his overseas trip.
He went to the airport with both brothers and waited in the car, before Khaled returned with some clothing and a see-through Toys "R" Us bag containing a pink box with possibly a doll in it.
His brother told him the luggage had been overweight and "chucked" the items in the back seat.
