Ex-soldier Daniel Khalife accused of prison escape ‘gave Iran fabricated information’

A erstwhile worker accused of passing concealed accusation to Iran and escaping from situation told MI5 helium had been contacted by Iranian quality and had fixed them “fabricated” accusation to “get rid” of them.

Daniel Khalife, 23, is alleged to person fled his Army barracks successful January 2023 erstwhile helium realised helium would look transgression charges implicit allegations helium passed classified accusation to the Middle Eastern country’s quality service.

Later, portion connected remand, helium is alleged to person escaped from HMP Wandsworth successful September 2023 by tying himself to the underside of a nutrient transportation motortruck utilizing bedsheets.

On Friday, Woolwich Crown Court heard how, successful November 2021, Khalife made 2 anonymous calls to MI5 from an unregistered mobile, having earlier tried to interaction MI6.

It’s conscionable wholly wiffle, waffle worldly disconnected of WikiLeaks, and they deliberation it’s real

Daniel Khalife

He told an relation helium had been successful interaction with Iran for much than 2 years and thought helium could assistance the British information services.

A transcript of the archetypal telephone call, to MI5’s nationalist telephone fig connected November 9, was work retired to the jury.

He told the relation that helium would similar to enactment anonymous.

He said helium had been contacted by a antheral named Hamed Ghashgabi, an Iranian quality serviceman who had been sanctioned by the US, “about two-and-a-half years ago”, the tribunal heard.

“He explained who helium was, helium explained helium had relations with idiosyncratic called Monica Witt.”

Khalife said that aft helium was contacted by Ghashgabi helium became disquieted astir his “future prospects”, peculiarly with his Army vetting.

“So I said, right, to get escaped of this feline I’m going to people thing disconnected of Wikileaks and nonstop it to him,” the tribunal heard.

He said helium decided to nonstop Ghashgabi thing that was “already leaked, thing irrelevant”.

Khalife said Ghashgabi was “happy” with him, and helium was provided with £1,500 by the Iranians successful “a dog-poo bag” dropped disconnected successful Barnet, northbound London.

While his occupation was 1 that sounded similar helium would person entree to information, helium told the relation that successful world helium did not.

He said helium was “worried” astir reporting what was going connected due to the fact that the Iranians were “very, very, successful my face”.

“They cognize beauteous overmuch everything astir me, they cognize everything astir my family, they cognize wherever my mum lives, it’s got insane.”

He said everything helium gave the Iranians was “fabricated”, the tribunal heard.

“I don’t cognize wherefore they support falling for it,” helium said.

He added: “It’s conscionable wholly wiffle, waffle worldly disconnected of WikiLeaks, and they deliberation it’s real.”

He gave the relation a telephone fig and asked them to ringing him aft 5pm.

He said helium had reported this to the MI5 website but “never got a response”.

A transcript of the 2nd telephone call, connected November 22 2021, was besides work to the jury.

In the call, Khalife tells the relation that helium had called them 3 weeks agone but “didn’t get a response”.

He gave a telephone fig to the relation again, and said helium could email MI5 impervious of what helium was telling them.

At the aforesaid clip Khalife besides saved an physics enactment that acceptable retired however helium had decided to commencement his ain quality cognition to beryllium himself aft helium was told helium was not eligible for higher level vetting.

The enactment was work to the jury.

“After that I decided to commencement my ain intel cognition to beryllium that I was capable to bash this,” it read.

“All I person ever wanted to bash was thing successful intel.

“The full crushed I joined was to enactment successful intel. I decided to usage my transportation to IR (Iran) to my advantage.”

As good arsenic the situation escape, Khalife faces a complaint of gathering, publishing oregon communicating accusation that mightiness beryllium utile to an enemy, namely Iranian intelligence, contrary to the Official Secrets Act betwixt May 1 2019 and January 6 2022.

In addition, helium is accused of perpetrating a weaponry hoax successful Beaconside, Staffordshire, connected oregon earlier January 2023.

The 4th complaint alleges Khalife elicited oregon attempted to elicit idiosyncratic accusation astir equipped forces unit that was apt to beryllium utile to a idiosyncratic committing oregon preparing an enactment of coercion from a Ministry of Defence medication strategy connected August 2 2021.

He denies each the charges.