NAIROBI (Halbeeg News) – Police have been allowed to continue holding five people who are arrested in connection with the recent hotel attack in Nairobi.
The suspects including a Somali Canadian were accused of aiding heavily armed al-Shabaab fighters who attacked 14 Riverside office complex in Nairobi where 21 people died.
The suspects include Joel Ng’ang’a Wainaina and Oliver Kanyago Muthee, both taxi drivers, Ms Gladys Kaari Justus, an Mpesa agent in Maua, Meru county, Mr Guleid Abdihakim, a Canadian and Osma Ibrahim.
The police have urged senior principal magistrate Martha Mutuku time to investigate the suspects saying they have reasons to believe that the five, who were not required to plead, aided the terrorists.
The court heard that they were still conducting investigations, some of which required the investigating officer to travel to various parts of the country.
Ms Mutuku allowed the police to detain the suspects for 30 days saying the reasons given were valid. She added that the charges likely to be preferred against the suspects were serious.
In an affidavit filed in court, Inspector Monica Githaiga, the investigating officer, said they were likely to prefer charges of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act, provision of property and services for the commission of a terrorist act and being members of a terrorist group.
The affidavit reveals that several gadgets were recovered from motor vehicle registration number KCN 340E, which the attackers are believed to have used on January 15, before the attack.
The items recovered in the vehicle include two mobile phones. One of the mobile phones had a SIM card, and the other did not. The police also recovered damaged laptop.
The items were taken for forensic examination, and it was discovered that the mobile phone was registered in the name of Erik. The said identity card was allegedly used to register 11 other mobile phone numbers.
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