Kenya Police detain Muslim cleric linked to terror

Mohamed Khalid Ali at the Mombasa Court in Mombasa County on Tuesday 26th May 2015 where he denied three charges which are Being found with a stolen vehicle, Being found with explosives and Being a member of the Al-shabaab group. [Photo/Kelvin Karani/STANDARD]

Security authorities in Mombasa have detained a man they claim is a militant with ties to the masterminds of the April 2 terrorist attack in Garissa that was claimed by Al-Shabaab.

Sheikh Mohamed Khalid Mohamed Ali, 32, was arrested on Monday by anti-terrorist police who claimed they had been trailing him between Mombasa, Lamu and Bodhai on the border between Lamu and Garissa counties.

Police claimed they found a hand grenade, plastic explosives and a detonator in his house. But his lawyer, Jeff Kaverenge, claimed police raided his client's house in his absence.

The suspect is believed to be a native of Lamu and police claim he also sells mangoes in Tana River County and is a regular worshipper at Mlango wa Papa Mosque in Mombasa's Old Town.

Reports indicate the mosque's committee had barred him from preaching there for fear of his alleged radical teachings.

Unconfirmed reports yesterday evening showed that police had linked a truck recovered from Boni Forest to him, claims The Standard could not confirm by the time the suspect was taken to court to answer to three charges of belonging to Al-Shabaab, stealing a vehicle and being in possession of explosives.

Early yesterday, Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa claimed the suspect had been in contact with two fugitive jihadists suspected to have aided the April 2 terrorist attack in Garissa.

Mr Marwa also claimed that Monday's arrest thwarted a major terrorist plot in Mombasa.

Three counts

When the suspect was brought before Senior Resident Magistrate Richard Odenyo yesterday evening, he denied the three counts and was remanded for two days in a police station pending the State's application to detain him for 30 days.

Mohammed was first arrested on May 23 at his house in Bondeni and released on police bond. But on Monday, police recovered a grenade, plastic multiplier explosives, a detonator, passports and CDs believed to contain instigating materials.

He is also accused of stealing a vehicle worth Sh1.2 million belonging to Al Noor and changing the number plates.

State prosecutor Lydia Kagori asked the court for 30 days to allow police to complete investigations that extend to Somalia. Ms Kagori said the accused had accomplices in Somalia and if released on bond, he was likely to disappear, considering the nature of the offences he is facing.

"Ongoing investigations involve the officer travelling to Somalia to get information," said Kagori.

During a media briefing earlier in the day, Marwa said intelligence reports showed the weapons seized in the raid by a combined team of anti-terror and regular police were to be used to execute a terror attack in the region.

"The weapons are capable of causing huge carnage. The Government is investigating where the weapons were headed to," said Marwa.

Marwa further disclosed intelligence officials had established that Mohamed was in constant communication with two terror suspects linked to the Garissa massacre that left at least 148 people dead.

Supply weapons

He also disclosed a truck linked to the suspect, and which was allegedly used to supply weapons and food, had been recovered in Boni Forest.

According to intelligence reports, Sheikh Mohamed, who had been on the police radar, was a regular at Mlango wa Papa Mosque in Old Town where reports indicate he prayed and interacted with and also indoctrinated the youth with jihadist teachings.

"Several times he requested to be given a chance to preach at the mosque but his request was turned down by the mosque's committee who were opposed to his extremist views," said the intelligence officer who requested not to be named.

The officer further disclosed the mosque's committees had even reported Mohamed to the authorities, requesting to have him investigated.