April 9, 2003	Wednesday	Safar 6, 1424

TEL AVIV, April 8: An Israeli police officer testifying at the trial of Marwan Barghuti said on Tuesday the detained Fatah leader had refused to sign a statement prepared by the secret service accusing him of involvement in “terrorist” activities.

The police officer said that Barghuti, the head of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction in the West Bank, declined to sign the Shin Beth statement drawn up from confessions made by other Palestinian prisoners and Shin Beth’s own intelligence reports.

“He said: ‘I refuse to accept your authority to investigate me,’” the police officer told the Tel Aviv court.

Barguti remained silent in court as the judge wrangled with the prosecutor as to whether the unsigned document was admissible. The judge finally ruled it was.

On Sunday, Palestinian prisoners accused of collaborating with Barghuti in organizing and carrying out the attacks appeared in court for the first time, but refused to testify and were declared hostile witnesses.

But their statements made in detention can be used as evidence, court officials said. He was captured during an Israeli army invasion of Ramallah.—AFP