Man charged with lying about pilot radio found in hotel overlooking WTC

NEW YORK - A man staying in a hotel overlooking the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 was charged with perjury Friday after denying he knew anything about a radio in his room that can monitor conversations between pilots. <br> <br> Abdallah Higazy, who had an Egyptian passport, was charged in a criminal complaint brought in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where a grand jury has been investigating the terrorist attacks that demolished two 110-story towers, killing about 2,900 people. <br> <br> In the complaint, FBI Agent Christopher E. Bruno said Higazy denied any knowledge of the hand-held radio, which was found in Room 5101 at the Millenium Hilton Hotel, across the street from the Trade Center site. <br> <br> The radio was found inside the room&#39;s digital combination-lock safe on top of other items, including the passport and a copy of an Arabic book, according to the complaint. <br> <br> Bruno said that Higazy denied ever seeing the radio when he was asked about the transceiver, which is marketed for use by pilots, enabling them to communicate air-to-air and air-to-ground with other pilots or to monitor other pilot conversations. <br> <br> <br>