Terror suspects 'posed as tourists'

By WILLIS OKETCH

Two suspected Iranian terrorists visited Mombasa twice posing as Turkish tourists before they were arrested in June this year and charged with plotting bomb attacks, a court has been told.

Wednesday, Milimani Chief Magistrate Kiarie Waweru visited Mombasa Golf Club where explosives allegedly recovered from the pair were found.

A taxi driver, Dennis Kamau, told the court that he ferried the Iranians to Mama Ngina Drive in Mombasa twice this year, adding that on the first visit, he picked them from a famous hotel in Mombasa and took them to the golf course.

He alleged the suspects left him in the car and walked along the beach towards the golf course.

The driver claimed the suspects returned to the Golf course after visiting several places in Mombasa, including public beaches.

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He also claimed that on a second visit, he drove the Iranians to Mama Ngina Drive and parked the car near the spot where the explosives were found.

“The second time I used the Likoni Ferry Road after picking them from the same hotel and took them to Mama Ngina Drive,” said Kamau.

The two Iranians arrested in Mombasa with 15 kilogrammes of explosive materials were charged with terror-related offences.

Commit felony

Both denied two counts of preparing to commit a felony and being in possession of RDX, an explosive material, when they appeared before Nairobi Senior Principal Magistrate PC Biwott.

Mr Ahmad Abolafathi Mohammed and Mr Sayed Mansour Mousav were charged with the offences a day after grenade attacks in Mishomoroni estate, Mombasa left at least one person dead and several others injured.

Meanwhile, a bomb expert Salim Mwalonye told the court substances recovered from the suspects at the Mama Ngina Golf course in Mombasa had the potential to cause a huge explosion when assembled.

Wednesday, the suspects claimed they were being fed sub-standard meals and denied opportunity to shave in prison and that they have not been allowed to talk to their family members for the past six months.

Kenyan and Israel officials believe Ahmed Abolfathi Mohamed and Sayed Mansour Mousavi who were arrested in Nairobi mid June this year were plotting to destroy American, British, Israel and Saudi targets in Kenya.

$20,000 bail

In June, Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu claimed the two are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps or the Quds Force.

When they were charged for the first time on July 2 of plotting to commit the alleged felony on June 21 this year, police said they found 15kg of RDX explosives buried at the Mombasa Golf Club.

The suspects claimed that they were tortured during interrogation and questioned while in custody by Israeli agents in Kenya.

They were, initially granted the equivalent of $20,000 bail which was cancelled. Israeli officials complained about the bail and alleged that the Iranian intelligence was widening its war with Israel onto African soil.