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UK Chancellor Attempts to End Expensive Circus of Hook-Handâs Endless Appeals
Furious Gordon Brown will sensationally BLOCK legal aid payments to hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza, it emerged last night. The Chancellor is to ensure taxpayers do NOT foot the bill for the ranting anti-Western preacherâs battle against deportation. A Whitehall insider insisted: âWeâre not going to play these games. Weâre not going to allow him to string out the legal process. Weâve no intention of giving him this money.â One-eyed firebrand Hamza was originally told to leave the country a year ago because of his extremism. But he has lodged a string of appeals. He was first refused legal aid but the ruling was overturned by the Legal Services Commission. However Hamza still has to apply to the Treasury for the cash because he is listed by the UN Security Council as an al-Qaeda supporter. His three-week court fight begins on Monday and The Sun has learned Mr Brown is determined to block any cash. Hamza, 46, already costs taxpayers more than £1million each year. The battle to kick him out eats up £250,000 in legal fees. He is given police protection costing £250,000 a year when he delivers his weekly anti-British rants in Finsbury Park, North London. And MI5 surveillance costs a further £500,000. Meanwhile his family gets £1,030.65 a week benefit. .... Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: âThe public are rightly scathing over legal aid grants to this man. Legal aid should be only be granted to those who are genuinely in need. Abu Hamza is costing us a fortune as it is. âThe sooner this man is deported the better. He brings nothing to this country other than hate.â Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-04-21 |
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