Two Iranian terror suspects denied bail by Nairobi Court

Xinhua
Thursday, June 28, 2012

A Kenyan court on Wednesday rejected an application to grant bail to two Iranians who were found possessing dangerous explosive materials.

Nairobi Principal Magistrate Paul Biwott ruled that Ahmed Mohamed and Said Mausoud did not present sufficient surety in support of their bail application.

Biwott said the suspects who claimed they were tortured by Israeli security agents who were grilling them, would be safe in custody since they have no known residence in the east African nation which has been under increased grenade attacks from terrorists.

The magistrate objected an argument by the defence lawyer, David Kirimi that continued detention of the two suspects who claimed to be businessmen would jeopardize bilateral relations between Kenya and Iran.

But the prosecution refuted the allegations said the suspects should be remanded in custody as they pose a threat to the national security.

"The defense lawyer is not well placed to comment on bilateral relations between Kenya and Iran as this is an issue of national security," State Prosecutor Nzau Musangi told the magistrate.

Biwott’s ruling means that the two suspects who claimed they entered Kenya as business investors and that they were ready to deposit to the court their traveling documents, would remain in police custody until their case is heard and determined.

The magistrate said he could not grant the accused bail because they were unable to state the kind of business they carry out in Kenya and have no sureties to ensure they will not escape court appearance.

He thus set July 23 as the hearing date.

According to the charge sheet, the Mohamed and Mausoud who were arrested on June 20 in the port city were found armed with the 15kgs of RDX explosives in circumstances that indicate they were armed with intend to cause grievous harm.

Mombasa regional police commander, Aggrey Adoli had said the two terror suspects, all Iranians, shared information that they were hiding explosive materials in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa and were planning to carry out terror attack.

Adoli said one of the suspect was flown from Nairobi to Mombasa where he assisted in the recovery of the explosive materials hidden in a bag at popular historic site Mama Ngina drive frequently visited by both local and foreigners .

The middle aged suspect, Iran national, is believed to be among foreign al Qaida terror suspect who have fled Somalia to Kenya and other countries including Yemen.

Sources said the chemical recovered can be used to manufacture improvised bomb that was used in recent blast that rocked Kenyan capital city Nairobi killing one person and injuring 38 others last month.

Kenya security agencies have been on higher alert after intelligent reports hinted that Al-Shabaab terrorists are escaping into the East African nation as the operation to rout the insurgents from Somalia gains momentum

More border patrol have been intensified along the Kenya Somalia border in Kiunga and Dadaad refugee camps to combat the al Qaida-linked insurgents to gain entrance into the country.

Al-Shabaab militants have vowed to attack Nairobi after the east African nation which hosted protracted negotiations that culminated in the signing of the federal charter for Somalia in 2005, invaded Somalia to flush out the insurgents it blamed for kidnappings of tourists.

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