Pierre Robert denies constitution of terrorist cell in Morocco

French national Pierre Robert, denied, in Rabat Friday, having formed a terrorist cell in Tangier with Temsamani and Khaddaoui, nor initiated these latter to guerrilla techniques and the to manufacturing and use of explosives.

In a confrontation with Hicham Temsamani, Pierre Robert, AKA El Haj, who was appearing before the magistrate of the Rabat Court of Appeal, also negated having declared to the police that he had plotted, in connection with Temsamani and Hassan Khaddaoui, terrorist attacks in tourist sites in Fez and Tangier.

Pierre Robert, sentenced to life imprisonment along with Khaddaoui on charges of involvement in the Casablanca bombings, affirmed his relationship with Temsamani was that of a bookshop client, and that he visited Temsamani bookshop in Tangier only twice in 1998.

The court decided to postpone to March 4 the examination of the case involving Hicham Temsamani who is sued in the framework of the anti-terrorism law. Temsamani who is in preventive detention, was arrested in Spain in June 2003 and extradited to Morocco last March.