Wednesday September 28, 2016
Hania Said Sagar, the widow of the slain Muslim cleric Sheikh Aboud Rogo, before Senior Principal Magistrate Diana Mochache at Shanzu Law Courts on September 23, 2016. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The government has claimed that the widow of the slain Muslim cleric Sheikh Aboud Rogo has links with Isis, which it says claimed responsibility for the botched terrorist attack at Mombasa’s Central Police Station on September 11.
Senior State Counsel Daniel Wamotsa told a court in Shanzu, Mombasa that preliminary investigations had established that Hania Said Sagar had been involved in a network of terrorist activities in Kenya and beyond.
“Intelligence has revealed that the accused is involved in international networks of terror activities, a fact supported by direct links of financial transaction with recently killed terrorist, Tasnim Yakub Abdullahi Farah,” he said.
The state counsel said Sagar was connected to an Australian based terror cell led by a man only identified as Mr Zak, who used to use the instant messaging and VoIP app Viber in Somali.
He said Sagar communicated with the terror cell leader via Tasnim, who acted as an interpreter.
“Crucial details from the ongoing investigations placed Tasnim as a central player aiding communication between Sagar and the terror cell in Australia,” he said. “The nature of communication and what the money transacted between the suspect and the slain terrorist was meant for is yet to be disclosed.
In the alleged terror network, Wamotsa said Sagara had a code name, Hani, while Maimuna Abdirahman, who was killed during the raid at the police station, was known as Moon.
Other associates of Sagar, whose real names were not given, went by the code names Kawthar and Umma Asma.
FEMALE ACCOMPLICES
The suspect and her female accomplices Luul Ali Tahli, Nasteho Ali Tahli and Zamzam Abdallahi appeared before Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Diana Mochache.
The four are accused of conspiring with Tasnim, Maimuna and Ramla Abdirahman Hussein to attack the police station.
They are also accused of failing to disclose information to the authorities that could have prevented a terror attack.
The suspects denied withholding information from the police that could have led to the prosecution of the slain terrorists.
They are said to have committed the offence on September 5 and 11 in Kanamai in Kilifi and Mvita in Mombasa.
Luul, Nasteho and Zamzam are said to be classmates of one of the slain women at Qubaa Muslim School in Mombasa.
The respondents were charged jointly on Monday evening after their cases were merged.
While urging the court to deny the suspects bond, the prosecution told the court that Sagar was a madrasa proprietor hence could use her social influence to interfere with witnesses and investigations.
“Some of the madrasas have been used for radicalisation and training grounds for terrorist. It is on this basis that we are opposed to the suspects being granted bail,” he said.
He said the madrasa in Kanamai that the suspects manages was still under investigations on its operations and how it was financed.
FLIGHT RISKS
The state counsel told the court that the suspects were flight risks and that when granted bail, their accomplices in Syria and Iraq might help them jump bail.
Police had accused Sagar of funding terrorism after investigations revealed there was financial transactions between her and ring leader Tasnim, who was murdered.
Defence lawyers Jared Magolo and Mbugua Mureithi, however, dismissed the state’s allegations, terming them hearsay.
Mureithi, who is representing Sagar, defended her, saying she had never been to Syria, Iraq or Australia as alleged by the police.
“My client has never travelled to any of those countries. The prosecution’s allegations are baseless. it is my humble submission that you grant the suspects bail,” he told the court.
Magolo, speaking for the other three suspects, said prosecution has failed to link the suspects to any terror groups, reason why they are shopping for allegations to taint the name of the suspects.
“Your honour what you are being told are just allegations with no solid evidence, my clients have fixed place of abode and they have never travelled outside the country,” he said.
The defence counsels urged the magistrate to reject claims by the prosecution, saying they were manufactured after the suspects were rearrested shortly after being released by a Mombasa magistrate.
A total of seven women have been arrested and arraigned in court over allegations of having links with the slain terrorists.
The court will rule on their bond application on September 29.