How key suspected terrorism financier Abdullahi Aden escaped police dragnet in Mombasa

An armed police officer walks past worshippers seated in tents during a service to mark the Palm Sunday outside the Holy Ghost Cathedral Church. Security has been tightened in the country following sporadic terror attacks. [PHOTO: Gideon Maundu/STANDARD]

By WILLIS OKETCH 

MOMBASA, KENYA: Police have confessed that a key suspected terrorism financier slipped through a security cordon on April 8 when they raided his rented house in Tudor Estate, Mombasa.

Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) seized an ATM card and other bank documents when they stormed his apartment.

The officers believe the suspect’s bank account could provide vital clues on terrorism activities in Kenya.

On Friday last week, CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro announced in Mombasa that police are investigating 20 bank accounts over terrorism financing but it was not clear if the suspect’s two accounts are among them.

The Standard has learnt that Abdullahi Mohamed Aden who apparently lives alone, is still at large and holds a Kenyan Identity Card but there’s no confirmation of his age.

COURT SESSION

The ATPU sought a search warrant on April 5 and conducted the raid three days later. Five officers from the ATPU participated in the fruitless raid on Abdullahi’s house.

Abdullahi’s disappearance was disclosed Tuesday in a rare court session in which the unit came to declare items recovered from the fugitive’s house.

Late last month, the High Court ruled that police acting on a search warrant must report to the court to record anything seized in a police raid and seek additional permission to continue holding such property. The State was slapped with Sh670,000 in damages awarded to slain radical islamist Sheikh Abubakar Sharif alias Makaburi who however was killed less than a week after the award.

According to records brought to court Tuesday, ATPU obtained a search warrant from Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo on April 5 to search Abdullahi’s house after allegedly receiving intelligence on the suspect’s alleged terrorism links.

RECOVERED DOCUMENTS

The search warrant sought by Inspector Amina Omar of the ATPU does not state the suspect’s alleged affiliation despite stating he is a financier of terrorism.

Omar told the court that when police stormed the house on April 8, “we found the occupant absent,” indicating that  Abdullahi was not found in the apartment.

“According to our intelligence, Abdullahi is suspected to be linked to financing terrorism activities,”Omar told The Standard adding that police believed he was living in an apartment in Tudor Estate when they sought the warrant.

Omar also said ATPU had intelligence that the suspect was living in the apartment number 50ID Marine Flats of the estate.

She said after failing to find the suspect, the police contacted the care taker of the building who witnessed as they recovered several items whose list certificate was filed in the court Tuesday.

“I am part of the officers investigating into the matter related to financiers of terrorism.  On the very day, police acting on information entered a house number 501D located in Tudor Marine Flats and found the occupants absent. The police conducted a search and recovered documents,” said Inspector Omar in an affidavit.

Among the items recovered included a National Bank ATM card and account number belonging to Abdulahi Mohamed Aden.

She told the court that the account number belonging to  Abdullahi is “very vital as it will  help the police with  investigation into the financers of terrorism in the area.”

Police are also analysing the suspect’s Orange mobile phone card which was recovered from the house.

Other items seized in the raid were two students’ identity cards, an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission voter’s card, a photograph and Equity Bank documents as well as a Secondary School Leaving Certificate and Copy of KCSE results 1933165.

ETHIOPIANS REPRIMANDED

The police officers took the documents in the presence of the caretaker and four other police officers and asked the caretaker to secure the door by replacing the locks as the investigation continues.

Meanwhile, the same court has remanded 37 Ethiopians at Shimo La Tewa prison for 28 days after completing their jail term in Kwale prison.

Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Mr Richard Odenyo remanded the Ethiopains to allow the Immigration Department prepare their repatriation to their country after they completed their jail term.

The term had been imposed by a Kwale court after the aliens pleaded guilty of being in Kenya illegally. Odenyo remanded them at Shimo La Tewa after Immigration Prosecutor Kipkoech Sang applied for it, saying the State was still making arrangements on repatriation process.