BRITAIN: A radical Muslim cleric accused of stirring racial hatred, Abu Hamza, told the Old Bailey yesterday that the case against him was politically motivated.
Mr Hamza also told jurors he had made no comments when questioned by police as it looked like "they were making up a case out of nothing".
Mr Hamza suggested that during a raid on his home last year, police might have left a certain volume of Encyclopaedia of Afghani Jihad behind deliberately to make his case look worse. It was allegedly about bombs and mines.
"They are either not as good as they claim they are, or they do deliberate mistakes. Everyone knows my case is politically motivated."
In sharp exchanges during cross-examination with prosecution counsel David Perry, the preacher accused the lawyer of trying to portray him as "someone who is a monomaniac".
"You are trying to portray me as someone who says do this and do that and they say 'Yes, sir'."
Mr Perry told him: "I am not trying to portray you at all." As he started cross-examining Mr Hamza, Mr Perry said: "I shall try and ask short questions directed to a particular point. I would be grateful if you would focus and answer in a concise a way as you can, do you understand?"
Mr Hamza said he did understand, but did not necessarily agree. "You are discussing ideas and you want to prosecute me for those ideas," the cleric said.
Mr Hamza (47) from west London, faces nine charges that he solicited others at public meetings to murder Jews and other non-Muslims.
He also faces four charges of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred".
A further charge alleges Mr Hamza was in possession of video and audio recordings that he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred.
The final charge accuses him of possession of a document, the Encyclopaedia of the Afghani Jihad, which contained information "of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
The cleric denies all the charges.