Abu Qatada Moves to New House
Alice Philipson, Telegraph (London), December 11, 2012
Abu Qatada has moved house after leaving his £400,000 taxpayer-funded home in North West London.
Removal men were seen loading possessions on to a van outside the extremist cleric’s home yesterday. A satellite dish and what looked to be a cross-trainer were taken from the house.
It is thought that Qatada will be moving to his new home with his wife and four of his five children.
Last month lawyers for the hate preacher said Qatada and his family had asked to be relocated.
It is likely he has demanded more space and is seeking a home where he can escape the constant media presence that was a feature of his old house in Wembley.
He has lived at the Wembley property since February after his initial release from prison as part of his ongoing fight against deportation to Jordan. The family is reportedly paying £1,900 per month in rent, funded through benefits.
After his return home earlier this year, he was later detained again but was released by senior immigration judge Mr Justice Mitting in November.
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission then upheld an appeal by Qatada after his lawyers claimed he would not get a fair trial in Jordan
Despite requests by lawyers for Theresa May, the Home Secretary, for him to be bailed to a Home Office address, the court refused and returned him to his Wembley home.
Last week Mrs May applied for permission to appeal against the decision to block his deportation.
Monitoring Qatada costs £100,000 a week and he is allowed to roam the streets for eight hours a day despite tight bail conditions.
Around 60 officers from Scotland Yard, MI5 and a private security company are involved with marked police cars outside his home and undercover officers ready to follow him if he leaves his house.
Anyone visiting his home must be approved by the Home Office and his phone line is monitored constantly.
