Police deport Somali businessman

Kenya: A prominent businessman of Somali origin was deported on Monday night under unclear circumstances.

Aweys Omar Ossoble was whisked out of the country hours after a Mombasa court cleared him of any links to terrorism.

He had been arrested on Decemeber 5, last year, on allegations of financing terrorism activities in the country.

However, police investigations into his conduct exonerated him of any links, and he was set free on Monday, and shortly after re-arrested and flown to Nairobi.

His lawyer, Jared Magolo, claimed that his client’s deportation was as a result of a conspiracy involving rival businessmen who owed him over Sh30 million and top military officers.

Mr Ossoble came to Kenya as a refugee in 1993, and has since then established a vast business network across Kenya and Somalia.

Mr Magolo, who learned of his client's deportation when he had gone to the Mombasa Law Courts Criminal Registry to collect his passport and refugee card, claimed that a top military officer within the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) command had tried to interfere with police investigations, and was opposed to the release of his client.

Magolo further claimed that despite investigating officers finding no terrorism links, some officials in the military believe there is evidence linking him to terrorism in Somalia and therefore plotted his deportation.

KDF spokesman Colonel David Obonyo denied the allegations and said the military had nothing to do with Ossoble’s deportation.

The businessman had last week Friday sought the court’s protection on claims that some people he suspected to be agents of the military had gone to his residence and threatened him.

Lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi who said he has known Ossoble since 1992 said he was not a terror suspect but "a simple and seasoned businessman".

“What I am hearing is that there is nothing like a terror claim. His creditors framed him to have him deported instead of paying him. He is now in Somalia,” said Mr Abdullahi.

Allegations were rife that he had been fixed or framed with terrorism charges by some Kenyan Somali businessmen who owed him money and were refusing to pay it back.