Defendants disown drug laden bag aboard luxury yacht

Seychelles National Clement Serge Briostol during his defense at the Mombasa Court. He is charged alongside Ahmed Said Bakari, Mohamed Bakari Mohamed, Sharifu Mzee Mohamed and Hussein Salim of trafficking 7600 grams of heroin worth Sh 22, 800,000 and 2028 grams of heroin worth Sh 6,084,000. [Kelvin Karani/Standard]

The High Court is expected to determine the owner of a bag found with drugs in it, on a luxurious yacht three years ago.

This is after several people charged with drug trafficking gave their testimonies.

The drugs were found in a bag on the yacht christened Baby Iris.

Three of the accused persons claim the suitcase belonged to Clement Serge Briostol, the Seychellois captain of the boat.

But Briostol told the court he was hired by the boat’s owner, Bilal Kimali, as a captain but denies owning the bag.

He says he was to take the boat to Madagascar and claims he found the bag on board. He says he was informed that the bag belonged to Bilal and was needed in Madagascar.

Clement has been charged alongside Ahmed Said Bakari, Mohamed Bakari Mohamed, Sharifu Mzee Mohamed and Hussein Salim with trafficking 7,600 grammes of heroin worth Sh22,800,000 and 2,028 grammes of heroin worth Sh6,084,000.

Clement told justice Julius Nang’ea yesterday that Ahmed Bakari informed him that the suitcase was to be taken to Madagascar to a person only identified as Said on Balal’s instructions.

A witness, Esther Wangari, said Clement asked her to keep his suitcase in her house after he was arrested. Wangari was an attendant at the hotel Clement had spent the night.

Esther told the court that Clement asked her to take the suitcase and keep it in her house after they were arrested.

Ahmed Bakari said when he picked Clement at the airport, he had a suitcase. He said Clement still had the suitcase during the journey to Madagascar. He was with two crew members.

Clement he left he had left his suitcase at a hotel where he had slept. Sharrif said he saw Clement with the suitcase when he picked him from the hotel.

Salim said he saw a suitcase in the boot of their car. The matter is set to resume on September 14.