Mombasa Tycoon linked to terrorism

By WILLIS OKETCH

Mombasa, Kenya: An owner of a bus company in Mombasa is under police investigations over claims he is financing terrorism activities and commissioning violence.

The man was arrested on Boxing Day at Mombasa Provincial Police Headquarters where he was summoned by Mombasa County CID officials. On Friday he appeared in court briefly but was not formally charged.

Instead, police sought court orders to extend the tycoon’s detention for more evidence against him to be gathered. The businessman and a second suspect are being accused by the police of supporting terrorism activities in Mombasa town, according to an affidavit sworn by an Inspector of Police.

 “I no 232194 inspector of police attached to Division Mombasa makes oath as follows: That I am under instruction of DCIO Mr Gabriel Gachungi that his office is investigating serious offences of terrorism incitement to violence in Mombasa.

That there are unreported cases from the public that the following persons are taking precaution to conceal themselves within the view of commissioning or aiding the terrorism,” said the inspector.

The affidavit does not disclose the terrorism activities the businessman and his friend are allegedly linked to or when and where they were committed.

His lawyer Ngachaku Gakui told Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo before his client was detained on Boxing Day he had been summoned to Provincial Police Headquarters on December 23 over alleged terrorism activities.

“My client reported on December 24 at Provincial Police Headquarters following the summons and was interrogated before being released and then rearrested,” said Gakui.

Meanwhile, the suspect claimed that before being brought to court on Friday he was taken to Nairobi earlier where he was interrogated and brought back to Mombasa. The arrest comes in the wake of controversy over which unit in the police force should handle investigations of the two suspects.

Prosecutor Chief Inspector Peter Waithaka told Mombasa Principal Magistrate that he needed time to respond to the application by the defence lawyers.