During his off-the-record talks with police forces, Sakra gave misleading information about the planned attack whereas he gave a rather credible account of the November 15-20 attacks in Istanbul.
When told that he would be granted time and space to perform his religious rituals, Sakra shocked the authorities by saying that he doesn't "do the namaz." He also announced that he is an avid alcohol consumer, an action strictly forbidden by Islam. His personal favourites are whiskey and wine, Sakra revealed.
Sakra also suffered from panic attacks during the first days of his detention and asked for sedatives. When questioned about the connection between the London and Egypt bombings, the terrorist claimed he was unaware of any plans for Egypt though he was "in the know about London, although that was just about it."
Sakra was captured in a raid on a suspected villa in the Beldibi district in Istanbul. According to witnesses, the two-storey building was inhibited by five, three of which were "women, all dressed in black and in veils."
German weekly Der Spiegel has claimed that Sakra spent a period of time in Germany making applications for asylum. His request was turned down and he also lost the legal battle he started in a bid to stay in the country. It is understood that Sakra has two sisters living in the country, who were once trained in terrorist camps in Afghanistan.
Sakra is also suspected of financing the 2003 Al-Qaida bombings in Istanbul, which targeted the HSBC bank and Jewish synagogues.
