Terror accused to stand trial

A man on terror-related charges who was allegedly found in possession of a USB device containing editions of an al-Qaeda magazine has been committed to stand trial.

Adnan Karabegovic, 24, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to a total of seven charges of possessing and collecting documents connected with a terrorist act, each of which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years.

Mr Karabegovic, of Officer, had his bail extended to reappear at the Supreme Court for a directions hearing on April 29.

Magistrate Catherine Lamble ruled there was sufficient evidence for the matter to go to trial, as Mr Karabegovic was found in possession of the USB device, which contained copies of the magazine Inspire, which is published on the Arabian Peninsula.

Advertisement

The court had previously heard that Inspire describes itself as a "resource manual for those who loathe the tyrants", with articles on weapons training, bombmaking and other "jihad-related activities".

The court earlier heard that in addition to the magazines, telephone interceptions overheard Mr Karabegovic discussing with other men plans to buy a gun and go to Bosnia for training and to build remote-control bombs that would ignite bushfires.

A translator told the court she had heard Mr Karabegovic engage in "jihadist chanting" during the telephone conversations.

Ms Lamble said on Tuesday that Mr Karabegovic had told Australian Federal Police officers he thought he had deleted the editions found in his possession.

She acknowledged there was no evidence Mr Karabegovic had looked at the articles in the magazines.

She ruled that the original six charges of collecting documents connected with a terrorist act be rolled into one charge. Mr Karabegovic also faces six charges of possessing documents connected to a terrorist act.