Australian man rejects UAE links to Flydubai cockpit attack: ‘false accusations’

Islamic centre chief decries claims the Flydubai co-pilot was radicalised at his organisation in Melbourne

A Melbourne man whose Islamic community centre has been linked by prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates to the co-pilot who allegedly attacked the captain of a Flydubai jet has hit out at “false accusations”.

The Omani co-pilot, now in custody in the UAE, had drawn inspiration from al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001 suicide attacks, and carried out his attempt “with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life”, according to the Emirati prosecutor’s findings published by state media last week.

The prosecutor said the co-pilot first became radicalised while studying in Australia “through reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organisations and suicide attacks”.