Imran Chowdhury, a 25-year-old man from Chingford in north-east London, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of assisting an escaped prisoner. Chowdhury was accused of helping former soldier Daniel Khalife after his escape from Wandsworth Prison in September 2023. Chowdhury appeared before District Judge Briony Clarke at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
According to the prosecution, after Khalife escaped, he made a phone call to an unnamed man who was still in the prison. The prisoner contacted Chowdhury and asked him to meet with Khalife in Richmond, south-west London, and give him money. It is alleged that Chowdhury went with Khalife to a cashpoint and withdrew £400 that he gave to the escaped prisoner.
During Khalife’s trial last year, the jury heard how he used cash to buy a mobile phone to call his Iranian contact, for whom he was spying. The cash also enabled Khalife to buy clothes to conceal his identity, top-ups for his mobile phone, and food. Khalife will be sentenced on 3 February after being found guilty by a jury of spying for Iran and pleading guilty to escaping from prison.
Judge Clarke sent Chowdhury’s case for trial at Snaresbook Crown Court. Chowdhury will next appear in court on 4 February
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