Hiiraan Online
Saturday, December 08, 2012
By Zahra Rashid
An FAO official was today arrested for having alleged connections with the Al Shabab in Baidoa, a city in south central Somalia.
According to Baidoa police Chief Col. Mahad Abdirahman Adan, the suspect, Mr. Idris Abdi Dhakhar, was arrested after receiving reports that he has been aiding the insurgency group in the operation within the region.
Col Mahad said that the FAO official was arrested at his home in the Horsed area in Baidoa. He was apprehended after we were alerted that he had connections with the insurgency group, and was promptly taken to Baidoa police station.
“We arrested the suspect, shortly after we received reports that he had been indulging and aiding the insurgency group in their operations with the country,” He stated.
“We are carrying on investigation against the suspect and as soon as the findings are out he will be taken to the court of law and charged with aiding the terror group,” He Noted.
He said that the arrest of Mr. Idris, an official from the UN body, is not the first arrest case in Baidoa but that there have been more cases of UN officials working with and for the terror group linked to Islamists Al-Qaeda.
“Several arrest of UN officials has been done and until know there has been no any communication made by the UN to speak against or for the suspect even though they are aware of Mr. Idris’s arrest,” Echoed Col Mahad.
Col Mahad said that, Mr. Idris cannot be freed as the investigation is carried out, citing security reasons for the police officers and the sources involved in this case.
“The arrest was done immediately we received the news and we have fears that if we let him free as investigations are completed for the case against him to be filed, the suspect might try to kill the source of information and the officers who made the arrest because of his link to t he militia group, “ He concluded.
Baidoa was among one of the towns over-taken by Al- Shabab during the war of insurgency. They used the city as a training ground and often executed those accused of defying their laws.
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