News reporter charged over fake Agoa card

By Evelyn Kwamboka

A Swedish journalist being investigated on his alleged involvement in terrorism was charged with making a fake registration card for the Agoa conference.

Mr Prince Hassan Nakanishi Kenji pleaded not guilty to the charge, along with Gina Din Corporate Communication Company’s officer, Mr Philip Mwebi Naviswa.

In the second count, Kenji is charged with uttering the document to acting superintendent of police attached to Anti-Terrorism Unit on August 5 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.

Yesterday, their advocate, Mr Donald Kipkorir secured their release on Sh50,000 bail after the prosecution failed to have them detained in custody for the next five days.

"The accused have been charged with forgery and not terrorism. The police cannot bring them to court and purport to be investigating terrorism," Kipkorir said.

He told Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei the court should not deny his clients’ bail based on circumstances not before it.

"The journalist was sent by the Swedish Government and there is no way they could have assigned a terrorist to do that job," the advocate argued.

The court was told that Gina Din Company was in charge of accreditation and Naviswa was one of the officers assigned to do the job.

The magistrate dismissed the prosecution’s application to have them detained for five days. The case will be heard on September 3.

Meanwhile, suspected Somali pirates being tried in Kenya have been assured they would get justice.

The suspects had asked to be taken back to their country for trial because they have no faith in Kenyan courts. But Mombasa Principal Magistrate Lilian Mutende assured 17 suspected pirates justice would be done. The suspects also asked the court to submit them with charge sheets so they would know what crimes they are charged being charge with.