Nick Ferrari asks Security Minister why MI5 weren't monitoring Reading terror suspect
22 June 2020, 08:35
Nick Ferrari asks Security Minister why MI5 weren't monitoring suspect
The suspect arrested following the Reading terror attack was known to MI5, so why wasn't he being monitored, Nick Ferrari asked the Security Minister.
A Libyan national from Reading, believed to be named Khairi Saadallah, was detained by officers from Thames Valley Police a short distance Forbury Gardens on Saturday evening and arrested on suspicion of murder.
It has emerged that he was known to MI5 and had only recently come out of prison.
Speaking to Security Minister James Brokenshire, Nick asked: "Let me assure you Minister, nothing sticks in my listeners' craw more than hearing the Prime Minister saying 'lessons will be learned'.
"I urge you and your colleagues to find a different form of words, as they do find it rather sickening.
"Perhaps one lesson might be - and I know you can't comment on this case - that someone involved in a case such as this less than three weeks after leaving jail, yet there's no monitoring of him whatsoever.
"Presumably going forward in cases such as these, when we're letting someone out who's beaten up a police officer, racially-aggravated assault, carrying a knife - we might keep an eye on him. Would that be an idea, Minister?"
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Mr Brokenshire responded: "I'm not going to comment on specifics. But the point that you make about people who are released from prison, those who are identified of being at risk of being involved in terrorism, absolutely.
"I would point you to many occasions in the past when the police and security services have done just that, to disrupt attacks in this country.
"If there are changes that need to be made as a consequence of this terrible, terrible case, then absolutely, that is what we will do.
"The national security protecting the public could not be more important."
