DPP questions US interpreter's credentials in Sh8.2b drug case

Iran nationals at the Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa, on October 27, 2025. They were aboard a ship that was intercepted with suspected drugs worth Sh8.2 billion. [Kelvin Karani, Standard] The case against six Iranians linked to the Sh8.2 billion drugs seized on Sunday was adjourned after the court questioned the credibility of an interpreter from a US agency. On Monday, the state lawyer and the court said there was a need to establish if the interpreter, Abdul Karim, was qualified in accordance with the Kenyan laws. Karim was unveiled as court interpreter by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS), an arm of the United States Department of the Navy. Karim told Shanzu Chief Magistrate Anthony Mwacigi that he has a contract to work with NCIS as an interpreter of several languages. "Yes, I am a US citizen, and Iranian Balochi is my mother tongue," said Karim. "I reside in Los Angeles, California, and have been working with the NCIS since 2024," he said. He said that he can interpret Urdu and Baluchi into English. The Urdu language is spoken in India and Pakistan, while Baluchi is spoken widely in Pakistan, Baluchistan, a province in Pakistan, and parts of Iran and Afghanistan. Earlier, Karim told the magistrate that none of the six suspects speaks English. The NCIS official introduced Karim as a native of Pakistan and a citizen of the US who is proficient in the Baluchi language and fit to be the interpreter in the case. The US official, who did not state her name, later produced a soft copy of a contract between Karim and NCIS to prove that he was an experienced interpreter. When asked about his identification documents, Karim only produced his driving licence, which will expire in 2028. He said his passport was in the hotel. State Counsel Anthony Musyoka said that they intend to verify Karim' documentation to guarantee the accused the right to a fair hearing in the trial and proceedings. He said the DPP wanted to get it right from the start for the fairness of all parties and ensure accuracy and impartiality are maintained at all times. "We want to make sure that there are no communication gaps. On that basis we pray for adjournment to interrogate these documents and provide the court time to source its own interpreter; if that is achieved, we will appreciate it," said Musyoka. Musyoka applied to have the court source its own Baluchi interpreter, failing which the court can settle for the American interpreter. He said they wanted to verify Karim's passport that he left back in his hotel, adding that he was yet to see where his contract states that he is mandated to translate. "We have reservations as to the competency in the section of the law that we want to interpret. The only point of departure is whether he is professionally competent and in the position to interpret the matters before court," said Musyoka. The suspects arrested in the drug-laden stateless dhow MV Igho are Jase Darzadeh Nia, Nadeem Jagal, Hassa Balochi, Rahim Baksh and Imitiyaz Daryayi. They were arrested 630km off the Kenyan coast aboard the MV Ighol, which had a haul of 1,024kg of the drug meth worth Sh8.2 billion. On Monday, the suspects, through Karim, admitted they understand only the Baluchi language. Meanwhile, the suspects told the magistrate that they had not eaten since their arrest. "We have not eaten for some time. We need bread," said one suspect. Magistrate Mwacigi ordered that the suspects should be detained at Port Police and given food and allowed to bathe. The magistrate said the suspects should also adapt to the new reality after they complained that they could not eat ugali. The accused were arrested on October 24 following a multi-agency operation that led to the seizure of meth substances.

DPP questions US interpreter's credentials in Sh8.2b drug case

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

DPP questions US interpreter's credentials in Sh8.2b drug case

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS