MP Sheikh Dor charged

By Wilis Oketch

ODM nominated MP Sheikh Muhamad Dor  became the first high profile political leader and MP to be charged for crimes associated with the separatist Mombasa Republican Council MRC.

Before being charged yesterday Dor claimed that statements that have out him in trouble were interpreted wrongly by the media and claimed that on Saturday when he is alleged too have called for the disobedience of Kenya laws he only called for donations to raise bonds by separatist leaders languishing in  jails since last week.

The State alleges in a charge sheet that identifies him as Muhamad Dory Muhamed Yakue that he defended financial support of the separatist by anyone including foreigners.

On Wednesday, Dor also declared that he supports MRC agitation on landlessness and other  grievances but opposes the separatists poll boycott and secessionist calls because “Coast Province is in Kenya and will always be in Kenya.”
Reports show that at least three others MPs and businessmen from Coast province are being sought by detectives for interrogation leading to trial for alleged financial support of MRC which is accused of orchestrating a bloody campaign against government agents and opponents and also inciting xenophobia and secession.

After a grueling seven hours journey by road from  Nairobi to Mombasa with a brief stop at Manyani Prison  near Voi, Dor who was held briefly at the Port polie station in Mombasa was charged the crime of incitement for his utterance on Saturday when he, allegedly, voiced support for MRC.

Dor was plucked from the streets of Nairobi  at around midday on Wednesday as he was preparing to meet the Education minister Mutula Kilonzo and interrogated by detectives at the CID headquarters in Nairobi before embarking on the trek to Mombasa.

He was set free from the Port Police Station on a personal bond at 11.05pm and ordered to present himself at the Mombasa Law Courts.

Yestetday, he dutifully appeared in court but before being charged he accused the Coast PCIO Ambrose Munyasia and “our political enemies” of orchestrating his arrest in order to block him from vying for the Mvita parliamentary seat next year.
“Why doesn’t the PCIO respect religious leaders?” Dor charged accusing Munyasia of sending officers to arrest him in Nairobi despite, an alleged an agreement between the MP and police officer for the latter to be interrogated in Mombasa yesterday.

The Standard could not independently confirm who sent the officers to arrest Dor and cart him to Mombasa but Dor declared that he believes Munyasia arranged his arrest of his political rivals.
“The PCIO called me on Monday and we agreed that I will come to record a statement on Wednesday. Why did he sent police to come for me?” Dor asked.

The MP who has left ODM and joined the United Party of Kenya which he launched on  Saturday claimed the case against him has nothing to do with the statement he made that day.

“This case is not about MRC. They are after me as Sheikh Dor as an aspirant for Mvita. My political enemies want a technical way to knock me out of this race [for Mvita]”.

Meanwhile Dor who was surrounded by loyal supports mainly from his Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya where he is the Secretary General claimed he was seized from the street by ten officers who he alleges blocked an entire road and ushered him into a private car after throwing out its occupant but adds that aftwards “the officers were very kind and they treated me with respect.”

Said he in Mombasa  on Wednesday: “They were very good people and they treated me with respect.”

Dor claimed that he offered to pay for air travel the four police officers he says escorted him to Mombasa but they declined because they could not contravene orders given by superior officers.

At 9.30 am the MP who was set free on a Sh2 million bond with one surety appeared before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Mr Stephen Riech yesterday and denied the simgle count of incitement as reports emerged that detectives were about to arrest several high profile leaders today and through out the weekend..

He denied  prosecution charges that on  October 13 2012  at Mombasa Technical  Training  Institute  without lawful excuse uttered the words “ MIMI SIMJUI MBUNGE HATA MOJA< NA SIMJUI TAJIRI  KWAMBA ANAYE KUWAFINANCE SIJUI  ,NA KAMA WAKO  KWANI   KUNAMAKOSA GANI ?  MKENYAYOYOTE,MGANDA YOYOTE, MTANZANIA YOYOTE NA BABAKE YOYOTEA ANAHAKI YA KUSAIDIA MRC KWA SABABU HAWAJAVUNJA KATIBA ,WAKINIOMBA NITATAWAFADHIL which words indicated that it was desirable to disobey  lawful authority of the Government.

State counsel  Mr George Mureithi did not object to requests for him to be released on the bond after his lawyer Mr Adams Hamza  who had applied for the bail.

The magistrate ordered the accused to come for the hearing  on November 13.

Beginning last week on Monday has struck hard on MRC leaders and supporters across Coast province leading to the high profile capture of MRC’s founder and chairman Omar Hamisi Mwamnwadzi who was captured at his Kombani stronghold in Kwale following a one week chase and gun battle police claim led to the killing of his two bodyguard and retaliatory murder of a chief MRC militants allegedly accused of betraying the separatist leader to the government.

Mohamed Rashid Mraja who is MRC’s spokesman and Hamza Randu who is the organisation’s Secretary General are still languishing at Shimo la Tewa prison in Mombasa after failing to secure bonds.

Randu and Mraja are facing incitement charges but Mwamnwadzi is facing seven charges including weapons possessio and police have indicated they may charge him for murder.