British Army serviceman denies breaching Official Secrets Act by collecting information 'useful to an enemy'

Daniel Abed Khalife, of Beacon Barracks, Beaconside, Stafford, was originally charged with two offences on January 27 following an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

A further charge under the Official Secrets Act was added before Khalife was asked to enter pleas at the Old Bailey on Friday.

That charge alleges he committed "an act prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state".

It states that between May 1 2019 and January 6 2022 he "obtained, collected, recorded, published or communicated to any other person articles, notes, documents or information which were calculated to be or might be or were intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy".

The second charge states that on August 2 2021 Khalife "elicited information about individuals who are members of His Majesty's forces".

This allegedly relates to him "obtaining personal information from the MoD Joint Personnel Administration system of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".

The third charge alleges he perpetrated a bomb hoax on or before January 2.

It is alleged he placed "three cannisters with wires on a desk in his accommodation" with the intention of inducing in another a belief this was "likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property".

On Friday, Khalife appeared at the Old Bailey by video link from Wandsworth jail with his barrister Gul Nawaz Hussain KC also appearing remotely.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all three charges against him.

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker confirmed the defendant would face trial of up to six weeks at Woolwich Crown Court from November 13 before a High Court judge.

Khalife was further remanded into custody.