Moroccan suspect held over Madrid bombings

Spain: A Spanish judge yesterday ordered that a Moroccan suspect be held over the Madrid train bombs after mobile phone records…

Spain: A Spanish judge yesterday ordered that a Moroccan suspect be held over the Madrid train bombs after mobile phone records showed he knew other suspects and spoke to some on the day of the attacks, a court source said.

High Court Judge Juan del Olmo accused Fouad el Mourabit, detained again last week after twice being arrested and released, of "cooperating with an armed group".

Eighteen people have now been remanded in custody accused of involvement with the bombings. Three other suspects in the attacks thought to be linked to al-Qaeda were also arrested by police over the Easter weekend, the source said.

Evidence showed Mourabit knew many of the people previously detained in the probe as well as some of the seven militants who died when they blew themselves up in a Madrid suburban apartment rather than surrender on April 3rd, the court source said.

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"He talked to some of them both before March 11th and on the day itself," the source said.

Under Spanish law, a judge must first find there is a case to answer, then charges are filed much later in the process.

Mourabit shared a flat earlier this year with Basel Ghayoun, a Syrian accused of playing a central role in the attacks, which killed 191 and injured 1,900, the source said.

Mourabit also lived in 2003 with one of the seven militants who blew themselves up in the Madrid suburb of Leganes, the source said, but declined to name the house mate.

Mourabit told the judge he was innocent and never suspected his friends were involved in the attack. - (Reuters)