‘Attacker used witness’ ID to enlist SIM card

Kenya: A trial court yesterday heard that a witness' identity card was used to register a SIM card that was used by one of the attackers to make calls at the Westgate Mall during and after the September 21 terror attack.

While testifying in the case in which four suspects are accused of lending support to the terrorists who attacked the mall, Catherine Riaki denied knowing one Abdiqadir Abdi Saciid on whose name a mobile phone number was registered using her national identity card number.

She confirmed that the ID number was hers but denied giving it to Saciid to use it in filling a Safaricom subscriber registration basic form.

"I don't know how my ID number was used to obtain registration for the said phone number as I have never lost my ID card at any time. I also never given my ID card to a person by such names," Riaki said.

State Counsel Mungai Warui who took the witness through registration data obtained from Safaricom wanted to know if she visited the mall and Eastleigh area where several calls were made using the number in question prior to and after the attack.

"I was not at Westgate on the day of the attack and neither was I at Eastleigh. I was at home in Dandora when I heard about the attack," Riaki said.

She said she had lost her SIM card thrice and had always replaced it in the three occasions, refuting a suggestion by defence lawyer Chacha Mwita that Saciid was her boyfriend.

"In my lifetime, I have never been in contact with somebody bearing such a name. I was also not aware of the said person's intention to use my ID card number to obtain registration for the said number," Riaki said.