A SYDNEY man accused of planning terrorist attacks in Australia had maps of the national electricity network, aerial photographs of defence installations and instructions for making explosives, a court was told today. Architect Faheem Khalid Lodhi, 34, faces nine charges, including committing acts in preparation for a terrorist act and collecting documents connected with terrorism.As his committal hearing began in Central Local Court today, Prosecutor Richard Maidment, SC, told the court that in October 2001 Lodhi had acted "in an apparent official capacity" at a training camp in Lahore, Pakistan, operated by banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba. "The camp specialised in urban warfare," Mr Maidment said. In 2003, after returning to Australia, Lodhi allegedly helped set up French terror suspect Willy Brigitte in a Sydney home and with a mobile phone which was, like his own, registered in a false name. The court was told that before Brigitte was deported to France in October 2003, he and Lodhi communicated regularly with each other and with a contact in Pakistan known as Sajid. Mr Maidment said the association was "connected with the preparation of one or more terrorist acts in Australia". Lodhi also allegedly used a false name to buy maps of the national electricity network and authorities found 15 handwritten pages containing instructions for making explosives in his office. Lodhi also allegedly inquired about purchasing chemicals, a number of which were also listed in the written instructions as ingredients for explosives, Mr Maidment said.
On October 25 last year, Lodhi was seen depositing an A4 envelope in a rubbish bin at a public reserve. It was found to contain 37 pages of aerial photographs of defence establishments HMAS Penguin, Holsworthy Army Base and Victoria Barracks. Mr Maidment told the court Lodhi had downloaded the photographs from the internet in connection with a terrorist act "involving the bombing of one or more establishments". The hearing continues.