The families of the Manchester Arena attack victims have criticised the bomber's brother for taking 'the cowards way out' after he left the country - despite being called to give evidence at a public inquiry.
Ismail Abedi, who is said to be have been assigned a new identity 'to protect him,' was stopped by police at Manchester Airport as he tried to leave the country on August 28 and questioned under the Terrorism Act.
But he boarded a flight and left the country the next day, the inquiry heard today (21 October).
READ MORE: Arena bomber brother's statement in full as he leaves country
Through his solicitor's, Mr Abedi said he was "unwilling to give evidence" as attending the inquiry into the atrocity would place his family at "further risk."
Reacting to the news that Ismail Abedi was no longer in the UK, eleven of the families being represented by Slater and Gordon said they were "appalled" to learn that he had left the country in August.
"On the 22nd of May 2017, our lives were torn apart and changed forever when Salman Abedi carried out his murderous attack," a statement on behalf of the families said.
"Since then, we have sought nothing but the truth: to understand what happened that night and why.
"Ismail Abedi was called to attend this inquiry today precisely in order to further that search for the truth.
"Others who were deeply traumatised by that night have had to relive those traumas by giving evidence to the inquiry and we have had to watch that evidence over many months and relive our own horror at what happened that night.
"Despite professing his innocence and claiming to disassociate himself from radical ideology and terrorism, he consciously chose not to attend today.
"A man who had genuinely rejected extremism would want to help the search for truth and would have been here today. Ismail Abedi is clearly not such a person but has taken the coward’s way out."
A statement provided by Mr Abedi's solicitors, which was branded by Paul Greany QC as "disgraceful," said he would not be attending before the inquiry.
"He intends no disrespect to any of the parties, but he is unwilling to give evidence," the statement read.
"Mr Abedi will not be attending before the inquiry. He intends no disrespect to any of the parties, but he is unwilling to give evidence."
It states Mr Abedi was arrested in the course of the police investigation following the bombing and detained for two weeks.
He was released under investigation and has never been told the criminal investigation is at an end, or that no further police action would be taken against him, his legal team added.
"The questions now asked by the inquiry are essentially the same as he was asked by the police," adds the statement.
"Requiring him to attend before the inquiry will place him and his family at further risk.
"After all the problems he has been through, he does not seek to engage with the public and he has nothing to add to the information he has given in interviews."
But the families of the victims say Mr Abedi's failure to attend was "entirely deliberate" as they called for urgent clarification about how he was in fact allowed to leave the country.
"As noted in court this morning, a 'disgraceful' statement was received on behalf of Ismail through his solicitor making it plain that his failure to attend is 'entirely deliberate,' they said.
"His absence speaks volumes.
"We are appalled to learn that Ismail Abedi left the country in August, having been stopped at the airport once before.
"We want to put on record our horror that Ismail Abedi could be allowed to leave the country in the face of an upcoming appearance at a statutory inquiry, which he had been ordered to attend.
"We are shocked that this can have been allowed to happen and we note the Inquiry are seeking urgent clarification on this."
Paul Greany QC, counsel to the inquiry, said there was 'considerable doubt about whether the police had a power to prevent him from leaving when he did'.
Mr Greaney told the inquiry: "It is not our intention to criticise anyone and it shouldn’t be assumed that Greater Manchester Police failed to pass on the information promptly when received by them.
"And, in any event, we understand that they considered there was simply no power available to them to prevent his departure when he did, and they may well be right.
"Whether something has gone wrong here in accordance with the existing structures of the law, or whether the law was simply not adequate to deal with the situation, we simply do not know at the moment."
The inquiry didn't learn of Mr Abedi's attempt to leave the country on August 28, or of his actual departure the following day, until August 31, when it was informed by Greater Manchester Police.
He said it followed the inquiry had no 'prior warning' and 'no opportunity' to seek to use provisions of a section of the Inquiries Act 2005 to prevent him from leaving the country.
Inquiry chairman, Sir John Saunders, said he did not want to rush to judgement, but that he would like a detailed explanation from the force and 'what governed their actions or lack thereof'.
"If there is a lack of power, that's something that I will deal with," he said of the processes currently in place.
"A proper judgement needs to be made. We all wanted him to be here to answer questions. The reality is we have lost the opportunity to do that. Let's find out what happened and then reach conclusions when we know."
Greater Manchester Police were contacted by the Manchester Evening News but they declined to comment.
