By WILLIS OKETCH
Mombasa,Kenya:A man accused of administering oath to Mombasa Republican Council members (MRC) was remanded by a Mombasa court.
Mombasa Chief Magistrate Stephen Riech remanded Ali Hamisi Mwijake for three days to enable police investigate his links with the March 4 killing of ten policemen in Mombasa and Kilifi.
Police believe the suspected witchdoctor has links with the separatists, who they accuse of slaughtering police officers to halt polls in Coast Province.
Yesterday Mwijake was charged with administering oaths to 12 suspects, mostly women, to commit organised crime.
And yesterday, Mr Riech remanded Mwijake alias Dr Alfa after the prosecution applied for time to conclude investigations into what they claim are oathing activities associated with the separatist movement.?Mwijake and 12 others have however denied charges of taking oath.?
The prosecution claimed Mwijake is being investigated over a serious crime and might face more serious charges when investigations are concluded.
Mwijake’s co-accused were released on a bond of Sh50,000 with a similar surety.
Mwijake and 12 other men and women were arrested at his house in Miritini on Sunday by police who have stepped up a crackdown on MRC and its leaders who police accuse of perpetrating violence and murder.
This area was afflicted by violence on March 4, this year when ten policemen were killed. Among those killed was then Changamwe OCPD Otieno Awuor and police have claimed MRC planned to kill officers in a mosque in Kwale.
The wave of arrests comes less then a week after MRC Secretary General Hamza Randu was questioned over recent violence in Coast.?Yesterday, the suspects denied that on May 12 at Miritini in Changamwe they were jointly found involved in the administration of an oath purporting to bring them to engage in organised crime.?
Mwijake’s lawyer Jared Magolo opposed the prosecution’s demand of remanding his client for three days.?
