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Court denies Westgate suspect bond


A madrassa teacher accused of helping terrorists who attacked the Westgate shopping mall was on Tuesday denied bond for a second time.

The court rejected an appeal by Mr Mohamed Ahmed for reversal of a previous order for his detention for security reasons.

The madrassa teacher was charged alongside Mr Liban Abdullah, Mr Adan Dheq and Mr Hussein Hassan for allegedly helping the shooters who invaded the mall on September 21, leading to the killing of more than 60 civilians.

The suspect had argued that bail was his  constitutional right and that he remained innocent until proven otherwise.

Rejected request

That his suspected accomplices were yet to be apprehended should not be used to determine his fate, he submitted, and pledged to abide by any condition the court would choose to tie to his release.

The court rejected the request, ruling that it had taken notice of the numerous terrorism acts in the country and could not release a suspect on charges relating to one of such atrocities that was “still fresh in the minds of the citizens.”

Mr Ahmed is further accused of giving shelter to one Abdikadir Hared Mohammed, alias Mohammed Hussein, at Salman Al-Faris Madrassa on Eastleigh’s Muyuyu Avenue, on October 7.

The prosecution says he harboured a fugitive  whom he “knew had committed a terrorist act.”