Defendant unlikely to testify in Chicago trial

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Pakistani-born businessman charged with supporting 2008 Mumbai attacks is not likely to testify at his trial, his lawyer said on Wednesday. US prosecutors were winding up their case against Tahawwur Rana, 50, a Chicago businessman with Canadian citizenship who is charged with supporting the raid, which killed 164 people. Asked by Judge Harry Leinenweber about the defence case, Ranas lawyer Patrick Blegen said he expected to present a computer expert and possibly two other witnesses next week but was unlikely to call Rana. The prosecutions case was largely based on the five days of testimony by David Headley, an American with a Pakistani father, who described his role scouting targets in India and Denmark for Lashkar-e-Taiba, an alleged ISI officer and an al Qaeda-linked militant leader. Headley, 50, testified he used his childhood friend Ranas immigration business as a cover story for his reconnaissance work and obtained Ranas help in other ways. The defence has argued Rana was unaware of the attack plots and that Headley was lying to justify his plea deal. Rana faces up to life in prison if convicted. Headley has pleaded guilty to scouting targets for the Mumbai attackers and his plea spared him the death penalty and extradition to India. He still he faces several years in a US prison. Three FBI agents testified on Wednesday about evidence taken from Headley and Rana, as did an FBI translator who worked on the case. A student hired by Rana also testified about a conversation the two had while delivering a cheque and an envelope to the Pakistani consulate, an errand which prosecutors say was intended to obtain a Pakistan visa for Headley.

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