Three Arab men went on trial in Germany on Tuesday, charged in an alleged al-Qaida plot to carry out a suicide attack and raise militant funds through dozens of false life assurance claims.
As part of the plan prosecutors say Yasser Abu S., a 32-year old stateless Palestinian, agreed to help raise money and ultimately carry out a suicide attack.
He is also accused of taking out 10 life assurance policies worth at least 1.3 million euros ($1.53 million) and applying for 23 others totaling at least 3 million.
An indictment released in December said he planned to fake his death in a car crash in Egypt so the insurance money would go to his brother Ismael Abu S., 28, who is also on trial. Part of the funds were then to be passed on to al-Qaida.
Prosecutors say the brothers were recruited by the third man in the case, Ibrahim Mohamed K., 30, who is believed to be Syrian.
Prosecutors say K. was a senior al-Qaida figure with contacts to the leadership including Osama bin Laden, and was responsible for money, logistics and recruiting new members for suicide attacks in Europe.
They believe he was trained in al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan before the Sept. 11 attacks and later fought against U.S. troops there between Oct. 2001 and July 2002.
Prosecutors also say K. sought to acquire unspecified nuclear material from Luxembourg but did not succeed.
The trial is expected to last several months.