Chiefs testify in Westgate suspects case

Kenya: Chiefs in Mandera County have disowned documents used by Westgate Mall terrorism suspects to obtain Kenyan national identification cards.

Bulla Shafshafey Location Chief Ali Hassan and his assistant Ibrahim Maati told acting Chief Magistrate Daniel Ochenja that the minutes of a joint vetting exercise involving 12 chiefs in Mandera, which authorised the issuing of IDs to 129 youths, were not genuine.

“The composition of the vetting committee as demonstrated in the minutes before court is untrue. The vetting exercise was done at location level and every member of the committee appended his signature against his name,” said Hassan.

He said his responsibility was to identify those seeking ID cards after which he consulted the district officer to arrange for vetting dates. He said vetting was conducted in his office and he never saw any of the four suspects. 

The two were testifying in a case in which Mohamed Ahmed Abdi, Omar Liban Abdulle, Hussein Hassan Mustafah and Adan Mohamed Ibrahim, alias Adan Abdikadir Adan, and Adan Dheq, are accused of supporting the terrorists who attacked the mall on September 21 last year. Hearing continues Thursday.