I’m innocent, says key suspect in Sh44m ivory trafficking case

Kenya's ivory trade kingpin suspect Feisal Ali Mohammed at the Mombasa law courts during the hearing of his sh44 million case of ivory jointly with his co-accused, March 25, 2015.  [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

A key suspect in the Sh44 million ivory trafficking trial in Mombasa claims he had never seen elephant tusks before his arrest.

He also claims he was betrayed by a Kenyan police informer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he was arrested on December 22 2014.

Feisal Mohamed Ali (pictured) also denied any links to international ivory trafficking. He said Interpol officers who arrested him claimed he had been a fugitive for ten years.

The defendant complained that his name had been tarnished by the media.

He also accused the state of discrimination by denying him bail. Feisal and four other men are on trial, charged with illegal trade in 413 pieces of ivory between Kenya and the Far East.

Police allege the ivory was seized in a yard in Mombasa’s Tudor estate on June 2, 2014. The trial of his co-defendants began in June 2014 upon their arrest in Mombasa that year but Feisal’s began on Christmas Eve after his arrest in Tanzania by Interpol officers supported by Kenya and Tanzanian police officers.

After his arrest, he was brought to Mombasa from Dar es Salaam.

The trial has been characterised by several delays, loss of court exhibits, destruction of scene of crime and withdrawal of a magistrate.

It was restarted by a new magistrate late last year after the proceedings by a previous magistrate were declared unreadable. All the defendants but Feisal are out on bail. Last week, Mombasa Principal Magistrate Diana Mochache ruled that the state has demonstrated a strong case against Feisal and his co-defendants Abdul Halim Sadiq, Abdulmajeed Ibrahim, Ghalib Sadiq Kara and Pravez Noor Mohamed and asked them to defend themselves.

Yesterday, Feisal lamented that he had been a victim of a vile media conspiracy and state discrimination yet he had never seen ivory he is accused of selling.

 

“I have never seen an elephant tusk in my life. I first saw the ivory at Kenya Wildlife Service in Mombasa during the trial of this case,” said Feisal who admitted that Abdul Halim Sadiq is his nephew who did errands for him. “I am not an international criminal. I am not the kingpin of illegal ivory trade. I am not an ivory smuggler as the media has been portraying me,” said Feisal before Mochache

Feisal, 48, claimed he left Mombasa on June 2, 2014 to visit relatives in Dar es Salaam adding that on December 22 2014 while having lunch with his family and a police informer, Interpol officers accompanied by Tanzanian and Kenyan police stormed the house an placed him under arrest.

Feisal said as a Kenyan, he was entitled to bail. He denied an earlier testimony by Abdul Halim Sadiq that he (Feisal) hired the vehicle police claim ferried ivory to Fuji Motors yard in Tudor.