LONDON, 12 June 2006 — A lawyer acting for a man who was shot and arrested with his brother during a bungled police anti-terrorism raid said yesterday he might sue London’s Metropolitan Police force for compensation.
Lawyer Gareth Peirce said 23-year-old Mohammed Abdul Kahar, who was shot in the raid which police staged after a tip-off about a “chemical bomb,” was still recovering and his family were suffering a series of “practical nightmares.”
Asked about media reports that Kahar and his brother Abul Koyair would sue, Peirce said: “Of course it is more than likely, but that is subject to the family making a decision.”
London’s Metropolitan Police have been accused of a series of errors after launching the huge raid on the house in the ethnically-mixed Forest Gate area of east London.
Police have apologized for the disruption caused by the raid but say they had “no choice” but to act on “very specific intelligence.” They have also promised to repair damage to the house caused by the search.
More than 250 officers took part in the raid on June 2, which Muslim groups have criticized as heavy-handed. No bomb was found in the search of the house and the brothers were released without charge on Friday after a week in custody.
Peirce said she was discussing a possible compensation claim with the family, but stressed they had more immediate problems. “There are a range of practical nightmares for the family,” she said.
