Ex-soldier accused of prison escape ‘gave Iran fabricated information’

A former soldier accused of passing secret information to Iran and escaping from prison told MI5 he was contacted by Iranian intelligence and given them ‘made up’ information to ‘get rid of them’ .

Daniel Khalife, 23, is said to have fled his army barracks in January 2023 when he realized he would face criminal charges over allegations he passed classified information to Middle East intelligence.

Later, while on remand, he is said to have escaped from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023 by tying himself to the underside of a food truck using sheets.

On Friday, Woolwich Crown Court heard how Khalife made two anonymous calls to MI5 from an unregistered mobile phone in November 2021, after previously trying to contact MI6.

It’s just nonsense, WikiLeaks nonsense, and they think it’s real

He told an operator that he had been in contact with Iran for more than two years and thought he could help the British security services.

A transcript of the first telephone call, to MI5’s public telephone number on November 9, was read to the jury.

He told the operator that he would like to remain anonymous.

He said he was contacted by a man named Hamed Ghashgabi, a US-sanctioned Iranian intelligence officer, “about two and a half years ago”, the court heard.

“He explained who he was, he explained that he was dating someone named Monica Witt.”

Khalife said that after Ghashgabi contacted him, he became concerned about his “future prospects,” especially because of the vetting of his military.

“So I said, to get rid of this guy, I’m going to print something from Wikileaks and send it to him,” the court heard.

He said he decided to send Ghashgabi something that “had already been leaked, something that is not relevant.”

Khalife said Ghashgabi was “happy” with him, and was given £1,500 by the Iranians in a “dog poo bag” delivered to Barnet, north London.

Although his job sounded like he would have access to information, he told the operator that this was not actually the case.

He said he was “concerned” about reporting what was going on because the Iranians were “very, very in my face.”

“They know pretty much everything about me, they know everything about my family, they know where my mother lives, it’s gotten crazy.”

He said everything he gave the Iranians was “made up”, the court heard.

“I don’t know why they keep falling for it,” he said.

He added: “It’s just nonsense from WikiLeaks, and they think it’s real.”

He gave the operator a phone number and asked them to call him after 5 p.m.

He said he reported this on the MI5 website but “never got a response”.

A transcript of the second telephone conversation, on November 22, 2021, was also read to the jury.

In the call, Khalife tells the operator that he called them three weeks ago but “didn’t get a response.”

He again gave a telephone number to the operator and said he could send MI5 proof of what he told them.

At the same time, Khalife also kept an electronic note detailing how he had decided to launch his own intelligence operation to prove himself after being told he was ineligible for higher-level vetting.

The note was read to the jury.

“I then decided to start my own intelligence operation to prove that I was capable of doing so,” it said.

“All I ever wanted to do was do something with intelligence.

“The whole reason I joined was to work in intelligence. I decided to use my connection with IR (Iran) to my advantage.”

In addition to the prison escape, Khalife is also accused of collecting, publishing or communicating information that could be useful to an enemy, namely Iranian intelligence, in violation of the Official Secrets Act between May 1, 2019 and January 6, 2022.

In addition, he is accused of carrying out a bomb attack in Beaconside, Staffordshire, on or before January 2023.

The fourth charge alleges that on August 2, 2021, Khalife obtained or attempted to obtain personal information about armed forces personnel through a Ministry of Defense administration system that was likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

He denies all accusations.

The process continues.