The filmmaker allegedly responsible for the anti-Muslim film
'Innocence of Muslims,' which sparked anti-US protests around world, was called
in by Los Angeles police for questioning, county officials confirmed.
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, was taken to a police station
in Cerritos, California, where he was interviewed by federal probation
officers, LA County Sheriff Department spokesperson Steve Whitmore confirmed.
Media and law enforcement officials staked out a house
reportedly owned by Nakoula at the end of a cul-de-sac in the southern
California city for around 48 hours, until the man emerged wearing a coat, hat,
scarf and glasses.
Nakoula claimed in an interview with the AP that he was not
the director of 'Innocence of Muslims,' but a logistics manager for the film.
However, Nakoula's Coptic Christian bishop contradicted this account and
claimed the man had told him that he was not involved in the film.
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"The US probation office in the central district of
California is reviewing the case," court spokesperson Karen Redmond told
reporters.
Police are investigating Nakoula's alleged involvement in
creating the film 'Innocence of Muslims,' and for possible parole violations.
The California probation office is reviewing whether
Nakoula, who was convicted on bank fraud charges, violated his parole by
uploading the film onto the Internet. His terms of parole required that he seek
approval from his probation officer before buying or using Web-capable devices,
and that any approved device could only be used for work purposes. He was also
restricted from circumventing this rule by enlisting others to access the
Internet on his behalf.
The 13-minute video, which portrayed the Prophet Mohammad
engaging in a variety of offensive behavior, sparked anti-US anger and protests
around the globe, including violent clashes at US embassies and the death of US
ambassador to Libya.
Nakoula, known under at least a dozen other aliases
including Sam Bacile, the name under which the controversial film was produced,
had been previously convicted of crimes including bank fraud and the intention
to manufacture methamphetamine.
In 2010, he was found guilty of opening bank accounts using
stolen identities and Social Security numbers, and was sentenced to 21 months
in prison. Nakoula was released in June 2011 on the condition of restricted
Internet access for five years.
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