Akashas seek to be set free on bond

The detained Akasha brothers and their accomplices now want to be set free on bond pending extradition proceedings to the US to stand drug trafficking charges.

A magistrate will rule on this application on December 1. The suspects argued that their constitutional right to bail has not been extinguished by the allegations in a US court linking them to a conspiracy to export drugs to the New York area or the provisional arrest warrant issued against them.

They have promised to abide by any conditions set by the court if set free on bond.

An earlier application for bail was rejected and yesterday, state lawyers said there were no new grounds to set the suspects free on bond.

Baktash Akasha and Ibrahim Akasha’s lawyer Cliff Ombeta yesterday renewed the application for bail, before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Maxwell Gicheru arguing that since the suspects had formally been arrested but had not been charged with any offence, it was fair for them to be released on bond with conditions to await extradition to US.

Baktash and Ibrahim are detained in Mombasa alongside Vijay Goswami of India and Gulam Hussein of Pakistani.

Yesterday, Ombeta told the magistrate that Goswami was suffering from a heart problem and his continued stay in the police could complicate his health problem.