Scotland Yard sleuths to testify in terror case

By WILLIS OKETCH

Six Scotland Yard detectives will testify in a Mombasa court against a British terror suspect accused of plotting attacks.

Briton Jermaine Grant, who is already serving a two-year jail term for illegally entering Kenya, is also facing a separate charge of belonging to extremist group Al Shabaab of Somalia.

The detectives will give reports of forensic analysis of exhibits, which were taken to a UK laboratory.

When police arrested Grant last year, they recovered several chemicals that include urea, hydrogen peroxide, lead nitrate and a wireless electric switch. Scotland Yard analysed the items.

State lawyer Jacob Ondari said the British police are expected in the next hearing on December 11.

forensic experts

Senior Principal Magistrate Joyce Gandani set the date after hearing testimonies from two witnesses.

Among the British police officers expected are forensic experts, who include Steven Ball, who will be the first to testify.  Yesterday, Sergeant Peter Muli told Senior Principal Magistrate Joyce Gandani that Grant led them to his house at Mtopanga where they found the chemicals.

Muli was the second witness in the case Grant and three others have denied being in possession of bomb-making materials. Grant, Fuad Abubakar, Warda Breik and Frank Ngala have denied that on December 19 last year at Bakarani in Mombasa jointly with others were found in possession of chemicals for making bombs.

Lawyer Chacha Mwita represents Grant and Abubakar while Ngala is represented by Ngeno Birir.

“We trailed the suspects who were riding on a motorbike until they stopped. We confronted them before Abubakar took off forcing police to follow him. He was later arrested,” recounted Muli.

main financier

He told the court after Grant and Abubakar were arrested, they were searched before they led police officers to their house.

Muli said police officers found the chemicals inside a room in the house after Warda opened for them.

Kenya and British police believe Grant is linked to terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite, who was accused of being the main financier of a terror plot to kill tourists in Mombasa.

Police further believe Lewthwaite and Grant were almost succeeding in carrying out a terror attack before the latter was arrested.