Dutch convicted by ICC detained over theft and extortion

A fugitive Dutch national convicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for aggravated theft and extortion has been detained at the Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi pending extradition to his home country.

Mohamed Hassan, 38, who had been living in Kenya for seven months under court-imposed bail, was remanded by Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi yesterday following a formal application by Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga.

The DPP was acting on a formal extradition request submitted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which seeks Hassan's return to serve the remaining 320 days of a 32-month custodial sentence handed down in 2019 by the Court of the Hague, under Dutch criminal case number 09/808575-18.

According to a detailed affidavit filed in court by Principal Prosecution Counsel Magdalene Nduati, Hassan was convicted in September 2019 of serious criminal charges, including aggravated theft and extortion, offences under Articles 310, 312, and 317 of the Dutch Penal Code.

After initially serving time in custody, Hassan was conditionally released on August 16, 2020, on probation terms that included mandatory reporting to Dutch authorities. However, just days after his release, he absconded and failed to report to the Dutch Probation Service, in violation of his probation conditions.

Multiple attempts to locate him within the Netherlands failed. By May 2021, Dutch authorities had confirmed that Hassan had fled the country without authorisation.

Consequently, the Court of the Hague revoked his probation on June 8, 2021, and ordered that he serve the remainder of his 320-day sentence. A European arrest warrant was issued on January 27, 2022, followed by an Interpol Red Notice on November 12, 2022.

Hassan's fugitive run ended on December 17, 2024, when he was intercepted at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by immigration officials upon his arrival from Somaliland aboard Flight No. PA 102B.