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Two Kenyans charged with terrorism

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 22 – Two people who are suspected members of Al-Shabaab terror group were charged in court on Wednesday for engaging in an organised criminal activity.

One of them, Aboud Rogo Mohamed, was arrested at Kanamai in Kilifi by Anti Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) officers who suspect that he has a link with the Tanzanian man who died after his luggage exploded at the Kampala Coach terminus on Monday night.

The charge read before Senior Principal Magistrate Grace Macharia states: “On 21st day of December 2010 at Kanamai in Kilifi was found engaging in organised criminal activity by being a member of Al-shabab, an outlawed organised criminal group as per Kenya Gazette Notice VOl.CXII-No.113 of 3rd November 2010.”

Anti terrorism police officer Alfred Majimbo filed an affidavit in court and opposed Mr Mohamed’s release on bail saying that they had recovered a notebook from the suicide bomber which contains the phone number of Aboud Rogo Mohamed.

“That a notebook recovered from the suicide bomber at Kampala Stage Coach bombing contains the phone number of the suspect. Intelligence information indicates that the accused person is a member of the proscribed organised criminal gang known as Al Shabaab,” Mr Majimbo said in the affidavit.

Another suspect Abubakar Sharif Ahmed was also charged with being a member of Al Shabab and for allegedly engaging in organised crime at Sabasaba in Mombasa on Tuesday.
 
Aboud Rogo Mohammed was in June 2005 acquitted together with three others of the 2002 bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel that killed 15. Three Israelis and 12 Kenyans were killed when two suicide bombers broke through barriers outside the Paradise Hotel with a vehicle packed full of explosives on Nov 28, 2002.  Others who were acquitted alongside Aboud Rogo Mohammed were Mohamed Ali Saleh Nabhan, Omar Said Omar and Mohammed Kubwa

According to ATPU Aboud Rogo Mohammed has been in and out of the country on several occasions through the porous Kenya- Somali border using unofficial entry points.

“That the accused person is believed to be a trained militant, hence, his being on the loose pose a security threat to the country,” Mr Majimbo said. “The acts of terrorism which the accused person is charged with are matters of great public interest which the court should put into consideration in exercising its discretion under the Constitution and deny them bail.”

The court will rule on bail on Friday and the two have been remanded in custody.

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