Thread: Huge fire engulfs west London tower block

Grenfell Tower inquiry: Lawyer says resident wrongly blamed, offered new identity

The man whose apartment caught fire and sparked the Grenfell tower disaster has been offered witness protection
and a new identity, an inquiry in London has been told.

Key points:

• Fire thought to have been started by a fridge
• Lawyer says the man blamed did nothing wrong
• Fire spread quickly because of combustible cladding

The inquiry into the disaster that killed 72 people heard the fire probably started in or around the fridge of Behailu Kebede,
who lived on the fourth floor of the west London tower.
His lawyer, Rajiv Menon, told the hearing the fridge had been bought new and had not been tampered with.



He said his client has been hounded and police became so concerned about his welfare they offered him witness protection
and a new identity.
"He is a good man. He did nothing wrong. Now he wants privacy for himself and his family," Mr Menon said.

The lawyer said Mr Kebede has been subjected to sleazy media accusations and harassment that have driven him to despair.
"It was accidental and Mr Kebede bears no responsibility," he said.