The Specialised Penal Court resumed Monday the trial of 36 persons accused of forming armed gangs for targeting and attacking oil installations in Ma'reb and Hadramout and foreigners in Yemen. In today's sitting chaired by Judge Radwan al- Nimr the defence lawyers for four defendants presented their defence in which they asked annulment of charges and to acquit the defendants.
The court decided to postpone the trial until next Monday to enable the defence to present their pleading for the rest of defendants in the case.
The Penal Court started trying the defendants on 4 of May 2007. the prosecution charged the first to the 34th defendants with participation with an armed gang to carry out criminal acts aimed at violating security and exposing safety of the society and its installations to danger through attacking foreigners living in Yemen and guest of Sheraton Hotel and the residents of the residential complex near the hotel of Ramada Haddah both Yemenis and foreigners as well as Yemeni businessmen.
The prosecution also accused the group of carrying out explosions against the liquefied gas refinery in Safer, Ma'reb and oil storages in the port of Dhabba in Hadramout by using rocket propellers and caroms equipped with TNT. The attacks resulted in killing the guard at the gate of oil installations in Dhabba terminal and infliction of heavy damage on the two oil installations.