Police accuse Rogo’s wife of failing to stop crime

The widow of slain radical muslim preacher Sheikh Aboud Rogo withheld information that could have prevented the September 11 attack on Central police station in Mombasa in which three young women were killed, the police have claimed.

The state claims Haniya Said Saggar (pictured) knew one of theattackers six days before the raid. But Haniya has denied this allegation, with her lawyer Chacha Mwita saying the charge sheet as presented by the police does not disclose any crime.

Although the attack occurred on September 11, the charge sheet claims Haniya failed to prevent an attack that occurred at the station on September 14.

The charge sheet reads in part that "on the 5th day of September at around 1200 hours at Kanamai area within Kilifi County knowingly and having reasonable grounds to believe that you knew Tasmin Yakub who was the mastermind of the terror attack at Central police station on 14th September 2016, you failed to disclose information which could have prevented the attack."

Last week, the State claimed Haniya, whose husband was killed in August 2012, communicated with and had some financial transaction with Tasnim Yakub, the alleged mastermind of the attack. However, the police did not raise this matter at all yesterday.

Haniya was arrested from her home in Kanamai, Kilifi, on September 13 and detained for seven days after a brief appearance in court after 24 hours. She was charged with the crime of withholding information that could have prevented the raid.

Haniya denied the charge before before Principal Magistrate Diana Mochache and was remanded at Shimo La Tewa until Tuesday when her bond application will be heard and determined.

Senior state prosecutor Alexander Muteti said the State will oppose the application to free her on bond as investigations were still underway.

"The phone of the accused and that of the slain suspect are still being examined by the experts to unearth the link between them," Muteti said.

In a sworn affidavit last week, the police said Haniya had communicated with Yakoub and that there had been financial transactions between them. However, the police dropped the charges of financing the terror attack.