Java restaurant attack suspects charged
Four men have been charged with carrying out a terrorist attack at the Java coffee house located at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Messrs Hassan Abdi,Mohamed Osman,Ilyas Yusuf and Garad Hassan also faced more than 12 counts including being unlawfully present in the country and being in possession of explosives.
The accused who appeared before Nairobi acting chief magistrate Doreen Mulekyo denied the charges.
They were remanded in custody until February 12 when the court will rule on whether they will be released on bond.
According to the prosecution, the accused carried out the terrorist attack at JKIA Unit One jointly with others not before court.
The accused are also alleged to have been found unlawfully present in the country on diverse dates this year within Nairobi.
Prosecutor Fridah Mwanza sought to have the accused denied bail after they made their application through lawyer Chacha Mwita.
“The state is opposed to the application for release on bond, the accused are not Kenyans and have no fixed abode,” said Ms Mwanza.
The prosecution also relied on an affidavit of inspector Leonard Bwire who said the Anti-Terrorist Police Unit has information that the attack at Java restaurant on January 16 was executed by the suspects together with others not arrested.
“The information with the police is that the applicant have unknown assorted explosives hidden intended for terrorist act,” said Mr Bwire.
Mr Bwire said that after the arrest, the suspects led police to their residence in Ushirika estate within Eastleigh for a search.
He stated that police recovered 2.05 kilograms of trinitroleune (TNT), a powerful military explosive from the suspects’ getaway vehicle.
Mr Bwire said police believe the suspects are international criminals who if granted bail will abscond court and it will be difficult to trace them.
The accused are also alleged to have been in possession of explosives on January 16 this year at Shauri Moyo trading centre.