Westgate: Court sets January 15 for hearing of suspects case

Part of destruction following Westgate mall terror attack (Photo: Courtesy)

By Fred Makana

NAIROBI, KENYA: The case of the four terror suspects behind Westgate siege will start on Jan 15 and expected to last one week

The court on Monday said it will notify the suspects at 9 am know if they will be given bail.

The four, Mohamed Ahmed Abdi, Liban Abdullahi Omar, Ibrahim Adan Dheq (alias) and Hussien Hassan Mustafah appeared before Nairobi Chief Magistrate Dolphine Okundi on November 4  to answer to seven counts of committing a terrorist act contrary to Section 4(2) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012.

State Counsel Mungai Warui told the court that the four jointly with others not before court allegedly supported and carried out a terrorist attack on September 21 at Westgate Shopping Mall in Westlands, Nairobi County.

Abdi, Omar and Mustafah, all of Somali origin, were also accused of supporting a terrorist group contrary to the law. They were accused that on September 21 jointly with others not before the court, they knowingly supported Mohamed Abdinur Said, Hassan Mohamed Dhohullow and others in committing a terrorist act at the Westgate Mall.

False pretences

Dheq, the third accused, faced another charge of harbouring persons committing terrorist acts contrary to Section 10(a) to the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2012. He was accused that on or before October 7 at Salman Al-Faris Madrassa along Muyuyu Avenue in Eastleigh, Nairobi County, he knowingly harboured one Abidkadir Hared Mohamed alias Mohamed Hussien whom he knew to have committed a terrorist act.

Dheq was further accused of obtaining registration by false pretences. He was accused that on July 13, 2010 at the National Registration Bureau office in Mandera town, Mandera County, being a Somali national, he willfully and by false pretences procured registration as a Kenyan citizen and was issued with a Kenyan identification card.

On a different count, Dheq was also accused of being unlawfully present in the country despite being a Somali national. The court heard that the accused on October 14 at Salman Al-Faris Madrassa Avenue in Eastleigh was found to be unlawfully in Kenya without a valid permit or pass.