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Bail talks for Westgate suspects pushed


Lawyers representing four suspects believed to be connected to the Westgate mall attack have asked for more time to argue a request for the release of the suspects on bond.

Lawyers Mbugua Mureithi and Johnson Udoto told the court they will respond to the prosecution’s application to deny the accused bond on Wednesday next week.

Nairobi chief magistrate Kiarie Waweru directed the lawyers to file their responses by Wednesday and serve it on the prosecution counsel Mungai Warui.

The prosecution intends to call about 40 witnesses to testify against Mohammed Ahmed Abdi, Liban Abdullah, Adan Adan and Hussein Hassan.

Prosecution is opposed to the release of the suspects on bond because it considers them a flight risk and that their nationalities have not been determined.

The accused are charged for supporting a terrorist group that carried out the attack at Westgate shopping mall on September 21.

Other charges facing them include entering Kenya illegally and obtaining false identification documents.

According to the prosecution, before the day of the attack, Mohamed Ahmed Abdi and Liban Abdullah supported two terrorists identified as Moahmmed Abdinur Said and Hassan Mohammed Dhohullow in “committing a terrorist act at the Westgate Mall.”

Mr Adan is also accused of offering shelter to one Abdikadir Hared Mohammed alias Mohammed Hussein at a location along Eastleigh’s Muyuyu Avenue in Nairobi.

The offence is alleged to have been committed on or before October 7 at Salman Al Faris Madrassa knowingly harboured one Abdikadir Hared Mohammed alias Moahhmed Hussein who he knew to had committed a terrorist act.

Another suspect Adan Dheq, was further charged with obtaining a false Kenyan identity card on July 13, 2010 at the National Registration Bureau office in Mandera town.

The accused have since denied all the charges against them and the case has been fixed for hearing on December 19.