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Intelligence services overlooked “highly relevant” information about the Manchester Arena attacker in the run-up to the 2017 attack, according to an investigation.
MI5 was contacted twice Salman abedi in the previous months attack.
Abedi killed 22 men, women and children and injured hundreds more in the suicide attack in a Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.
Paul Greaney QC, attorney for the investigation, said that “on two separate occasions in the months leading up to the attack, MI5 received intelligence on Salman Abedi.
“The importance … was not fully appreciated at the time, but in hindsight you can see that it is very relevant to the planned attack.”
The investigation, carried out at Manchester Magistrates Court, will examine the impact of the events preceding the attack on Abedi’s radicalization and his actions on the night of the blast.
The court was informed that Abedi, 22, visited a convicted British terrorist in the months leading up to the attack.
Abdalraouf Abdallah was convicted in 2016 of sending money to finance terrorism and was visited by Salman Abedi in January 2017.
The investigation was informed that Abdallah had been asked to testify, that he had agreed to be interviewed by the investigation’s legal team, but then “refused to answer questions” invoking his legal right not to incriminate himself.
Mr. Greaney said that Abedi’s close relatives, including her parents and an older brother, had also refused to provide statements to the investigation, despite requests to do so.
Abedi’s younger brother Hashem, with whom he planned the attack, was sentenced last month to a minimum of 55 years in prison.
“We hope that the Salman Abedi family will reflect and understand that they have a moral obligation to provide the information,” Greaney said.
Hashem Abedi, was imprisoned for at least 55 years last month
Earlier in the day, the investigation heard the response from the fire service described as “inadequate and ineffective.”
Despite being alerted minutes after the blast, the first personnel from the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the Arena almost two hours later.
The experts, instructed by the investigation, said that a “lack of strategic direction and operational control” meant that the fire service was “unable to provide assistance to victims or participate in joint work.”
John Atkinson suffered injuries that were ‘potentially survivable’ but died of a heart attack
That meant specialized resources, including specialist response teams and technical rescue units with upgraded first aid equipment such as trauma bandages and rescue stretchers, were not deployed to the scene.
Over the next several months, the investigation will examine whether the absence of fire services at the scene “contributed to the loss of life that occurred.”
One of the victims, John Atkinson, 28, suffered a heart attack an hour and 17 minutes after the explosion.
A panel of blast injury experts said injuries that suffered were “potentially survivors”.
Figen Murray, mother of victim Martyn Hett, today described the investigation as going “to hell and back.”
Martyn Hett’s mother said the investigation was like going ‘to hell and back’
Posting on social media, Ms Murray said the investigation “feels ten times worse than a trial. We will be changed people after this I think.”
The investigation has concluded for the week and will resume on September 14.
It is expected to last until spring 2021.
