'Al Qaida bomb-maker' arrested near Downing Street remanded in custody
An alleged al Qaida bomb-maker arrested close to Downing Street has appeared in court and been remanded in custody.
Khalid Mohammed Omar Ali, 27, who was arrested in Whitehall on April 27, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
The bearded defendant, from Edmonton, north London, appeared in the dock wearing handcuffs and flanked by four security guards and two men in suits.
He is charged with preparation for a terrorist act on or before April 27, when he is alleged to have been arrested while carrying three knives in the heart of political London.
He also faces two charges of making or having explosives related to activity in Afghanistan in 2012.
The court heard that it is claimed his fingerprints were found on parts for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered in the country in that year by US intelligence.
Ali, who appeared unrepresented in court, declined to enter pleas to any of the charges, telling chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot: "I don't recognise the charges."
He was remanded in custody to appear next at the Old Bailey on May 19.
