LOUGHTON: Muslim prayer leader's abduction "complete bunkum" court told (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

LOUGHTON: Muslim prayer leader's abduction "complete bunkum" court told

5:29pm Wednesday 9th June 2010 in

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CLAIMS by a former Muslim prayer group leader that he had been abducted at knifepoint from his home have been dismissed as “complete bunkum”.

Noor Ramjanally, 36, of Valley Hill in Loughton, is on trial at Chelmsford Crown Court accused of perverting the course of justice.

And as part of his opening speech, prosecutor Matthew Gowan told the court that CCTV installed at Ramjanally’s flat for his own protection showed he was clearly somewhere else at the time of his so-called kidnap.

He said: “Against a background of some tension in the local community, on August 24 just before a quarter to one the operator in Essex received a 999 call.

“He [Ramjanally] had been abducted at the point of a weapon which he later said was a knife, bundled into the back of a vehicle and essentially kidnapped, driven around and subsequently released in Epping Forest.

“He was threatened and was told that, in essence, people didn’t want him to form a Muslim prayer group in the area.

“Because the media picked up on his story not only did he make a witness statement to the police, but subsequently he went on various media outlets: BBC London, Radio 5 Live and spoke to a lot of national newspapers.

“It’s a serious allegation so the police were involved and investigated it.

“But the police picked apart this story that Mr Ramjanally gave. He gave an initial account when he rang the police, and later in interview when the police decided it was false and entirely made up. And that’s the prosecution case: it’s complete bunkum. He made it up entirely.”

The court heard Ramjanally initially claimed the abduction had taken place between 12.15pm and 12.30pm.

But the jury was shown CCTV footage of Ramjanally leaving his Roxwell House flat at midday.

The cameras had been installed at the defendant’s flat after he alleged he had received a threatening letter and been subjected to an arson attack.

After leaving the flat, the court was told Ramjanally travelled by taxi to Homebase in Loughton where CCTV footage showed him browsing the aisles.

Ramjanally was subsequently arrested by police and charged with perverting the course of justice.

Confronted with the evidence against him, Ramjanally refused to answer any questions at police interview, but instead issued a statement.

In the statement, he said he had been to Homebase, but had subsequently walked home where, shortly after his return, the abduction had taken place.

But Mr Gowan said that could not possibly have been the case as it would have taken the defendant at least 40 minutes to walk home from the store and the alleged abduction would have taken place 30 minutes before he could have possibly returned.

He said: “You’ve got his first account, which is wrong, a second account, which is wrong, you have a third account in a statement which is utterly wrong.”

Ramjanally, who was not present in court, and is not being represented, denies one charge of perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues.