Dusit D2 suspect admits to cyber terrorism, faking ID and passport

The state on Wednesday scored a major win in the Dusit D2 terror attack trial after one of the accused person admitted to four charges, including cyber terrorism.

Just before the final witness took the stand, Senior Prosecution Counsel Harrison Kiare informed High Court judge Diana Mochache that the State had entered a plea bargaining agreement with Mire Abdullahi.

The admission by the suspect is a win for Principal Prosecution Counsel Fatma Ali Ahmed, Kiarie and Prosecution Counsel Hadija Jarra, who tirelessly told the State's story for years through witnesses.

The State intended to press charges relating to provision of internet services to Dusit D2 attackers, uttering a fake identification card and false presentation to get a passport.

However, Mire opted to admit committing the offences.

The judge first asked Mire whether he understood the charges, that he was willingly forfeiting the opportunity to appeal and quiz witnesses.

At the same time, Justice Mochache also asked him whether he was coerced or promised a gift and he said no.

The judge read each charge to him and he stated that it was true.

Meri was arrested on September 27, 2019. He was providing internet services through kit serial number 259364 VSAT for the coordinators of Dusit D2 attackers who were using Facebook accounts, Kingston, Elusive Router and Adam Chege whose IP address was in Jilib, Somalia.

The kit was activated in Dhusamareb, Somalia and then moved to Jilib, an Alshabaab hub. The judge heard Mire provided the internet to one Sheikh Mohamed in Jilib.

At the same time, he obtained a Kenyan identification card for himself and his mother, using a statement from the district officer, and from a chief. He also managed to beat the system by producing a verification report.

His birth place, according to Kiarie, was indicated as Narok. Mire also produced a death certificate alleging that his father had died. However, a government official, Charity Mwandime informed the court that she never worked in Narok, blowing a cover that Mire, a Somali national, had obtained government documents using falsehood.

He got the ID from national registration bureau at Busia County.

Mire, a father of nine, had also cheated his way to obtain a Kenyan passport B079172. He first got a passport in 2010 and renewed the same in 2018. He presented his mother Khadija Sheikh Shire while taking the first passport, then changed to Khadija Sheikh Adan

However, investigations revealed that the identification card he used was neither of the two mothers. Instead, it was an ID belonging to Agnes Kwamboka from Kisii County.

Mire also admitted to a separate count where he was accused of giving false ID number to an Anti Terror Police Unit (ATPU).

On one hand, Kiarie urged the judge to sentence Mire for six years while on the other hand, his lawyer Chacha Mwita asked the court to hand him five years.

Mwita told the court that his client was remorseful and regretted his actions. At the same time, he said that Mire mourned those who lost their lives and was of good conduct while he is in remand.

Justice Mochache ordered the probation officer to present a report on Mire before sentencing.

Meanwhile, the lead investigator Chief Inspector Stephen Ngereso Khamis Wednesday told the court that there as link between Dusit D2 attack and a foiled attempt to bomb Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC).

He was testifying in a case where Mire, Hussein Mohammed, and Mohamed Ali are accused of committing acts of terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism acts and conspiracy to commit terrorist acts.

The senior police officer linked the foiled KICC attack, Garissa Attack and Dusit D2. He told the court that a car with improvised bombs was intercepted at Merti and the intention was to blow the Kenya International Conference Center (KICC).

From Inspector Ngereso's testimony, Dusit D2 attack was a story of a a complex syndicate that also involved cracking a car theft syndicate. Ngereso told the court that the attackers; Ali Salim Gichunge, Siyat Omar Abdi, Osman Ibrahim Gedi and Mohamed Adan Noor travelled to Dusit D2 using a Toyota Ractis a KCN 901C.

Upon tape lifting, investigators discovered that the car had been reported as stolen. They then discovered KCN 340 E which led to discovery of Benson Mwangi.

Ngereso said Maina was an associate of Gichunge. "He was very instrumental in purchase of the vehicle," he said adding that upon a search of Maina's home at Kabete, they found a master key that was being used to steal the vehicles.

At the same time, investigators recovered two ID cards belonging to Maina's father Stephen Mwangi. The ID were used at National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) for a transfer of the car to Gichunge.

Further investigations led them to Musembi Mulwa whom it is claimed was the one behind the number plates used on the stolen car.

"He was able to do by handwriting unapproved registration of the number plates," testified Ngereso.

The lead investigator told the court that upon combing Facebook, they discovered that Gichunge was running two accounts, one as Kingston and the other one Junior Red.

The Kingston account was used to broadcast live to one Sheikh Ahmed in Jilib during the attack while Junior Red was used to sell his household items at Muchatha House where he lived with his wife Violet Kemunto before the attack.

Following the attack, the court heard that police officers recovered a black suitcase which they used to conceal four AK 47 rifles, damaged laptops, mobile phones, four suicide vests, spent cartridges, live ammunition and assorted sim card holders.

He stated that Kenyan security agencies neutralised the attackers at around 9:30 pm, collected Gichunge's phone and kept it on until the following morning in a bid to probe who and where was Sheikh Ahmed.

The investigators also discovered other accounts such as Elusive Router, Prince Mohamad, Simple Wes. Ngereso told the court that the accounts were used for coordinating the Dusit D2 attack.

"The accounts were opened for surveillance, falsification of documents, also used to send parcels from Nairobi and Mandera," he testified.

At the close of the State's case, the prosecution called 45 witnesses to tell its side of story.