'Underwear bomber' declared fit to stand trial

AFP

18 August 2011

'Underwear bomber' declared fit to stand trial

A US judge ruled that a young Nigerian man is fit to stand trial over allegations he tried to blow up a packed transatlantic airliner using explosives hidden in his underpants.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 24-year-old Nigerian student known popularly as the "Underwear bomber", fired his lawyers last year and has attempted to represent himself in the complex terror trial.

Judge Nancy Edmunds has repeatedly urged Abdulmutallab to accept help from Anthony Chambers, a prominent Detroit attorney she appointed as backup counsel.

"I believe I'm competent to proceed by myself," he told the judge after Chambers filed a motion seeking a competency hearing against Abdulmutallab's wishes.

Edmunds ruled that he was competent to stand trial after asking him a series of questions to ensure he understood the charges.